v1 Close your eyes, Open your Heart
by narcotic-lullaby
Summary: What would you do to find someone you love? The same question dawns on Reina when she loses her love and has no choice but to go with three strangers on a quest to find him. Sometimes you need more then your eyes to find something you love... -Rewriting!-
1. DisclaimerIntro

~Disclaimer~**  
**  
Kingdom Hearts II and Characters copyright: _Square Enix_ and _Disney_.  
Main Character and Storyline copyright: narcotic-lullaby

~Main Character~**  
**  
Name:Reina  
Age: 15  
Gender: Female  
Appearance: layered black hair, green eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a little bit above normal height. Usually waers a tanktop with a hoodie and some shorts. Also wears sneakers with knee-high socks  
Personality: optimistic, sweet, adventurous, strong, andcaring are some words that describe her. She's also somewhat naive and gullible.

~Author's Note~**  
**  
I really hope you enjoy this fanfic; I put a lot of effort into it. The story line is going to be quite different from the original storyline but it'll still have some spoilers. I hope you find it as interesting as I did! I would also really love some feedback on how it is. Ok, so now that's done, on to the first chapter! ^^


	2. Together Forever?

_The dream started with me waking up in a dark tunnel, alone and confused. I walk a couple of steps, wanting to find a way out. How the heck did I get here?_

_Suddenly, a small light erupts from one end of the tunnel, feeble at first, but it grows as I start running toward it. The light grows brighter and bigger, and when I reach at the end of the tunnel, a boy stands at the exit as if waiting for me._

_I never saw him before, yet he felt so familiar. He had brown, spiky hair shooting out in different angles and striking blue eyes. I tried to approach him, but darkness decided it wanted to keep me in and a huge dark wall sprung up before me, blocking the way toward the light. Small, black creatures with huge yellow eyes sprouted out from the floor, wanting to keep me in by force. I tried to back out; stepping back into the darkness and the small, black fiends encouraged my fear. _

_And then, exactly on time, another flash of light and a key-shaped weapon appeared in my hands, filling me with courage. I narrowed my eyes and swung the weapon of light toward the beasts, killing at least two with each swing. But, as each creature died, more took its place, eventually swarming the place with too many dark fiends wanting to trap me into the darkness from which they came. _

_Confused and scared, I froze on the spot, not knowing what to do._

_Help!!!!_

_Then, on cue, a hand came out from the dark wall and I grabbed it._

"_Reina!" a familiar voice called from behind the dark cloud._

_The hand pulled me out back into the light. I looked up to see my savior and my heart filled with gladness as I recognized who he was._

"_Roxas!" I cried happily while hugging him. But, when I let go, I saw that it wasn't him—it was the boy from before._

"_Who are you?" you asked, scared. The guy gave a cute quizzical look as if he didn't understand what I was saying. Then, he pulled out something from his pocket and pressed it to my hand. I looked down to see what it was: a yellow, small, wooden star-shaped locket with tiny green leaves poking out of it, all hanging from a silver delicate chain. I noticed there was a hinge, to open it. Curious, I opened it and other brilliant light filled the room, blinding me._

"**Reina!!!"**

:.--.:

"Reina, get up!"

You jolted up, your heart beating faster than usual. As you looked around, you let out a sigh of relief. You were on the couch in the Usual Spot, not some dark tunnel with some random guy. You let out a nervous laugh and looked to see who woke you up.

"Oh, hey Roxas." You grinned as you stared into the blonde's blue eyes.

"Finally! I thought you died!" he said, grinning.

"Well, you can't blame me. Hayner was giving one of his boring speeches again." You grumbled, while trying to stifle a yawn. That really wasn't the reason, though. That night you and your mom got into an argument about her not paying attention to you and…paying more attention to her boyfriend. You stayed up crying all that night, wishing for a normal family.

"Anyway, c'mon, I want to show you something." he said, a mysterious smile flitting across his face. You felt yourself grinning. You knew that smile very well; ever since you two were little, he always gave that smile to show there was a surprise in store.

"What is it? And…where is everyone?" you asked, noticing the emptiness in the Usual Spot.

"It's a _surprise."_ He said, putting a finger to his lips.

"OK, fine," you said, getting up.

"Great, c'mon, let's go!" he said, grabbing your hand and heading out the door. You felt yourself blush on this while the both of you scrambled over to the Station Tower. You had a long-time crush for Roxas and you were sure he liked you back; Olette assured you on that one. Whenever you were with him, you thought of nothing else, just being with him made you feel complete.

"What's going on?" you asked, standing on top of the tower. It seemed empty. "There's no-one—"

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!_" Hayner, Pence and Olette jumped out from behind the corner, wearing pointy birthday hats. Olette was holding a chocolate cake.

"Surprise!" Roxas said softly from behind you. You turned around and hugged him tightly and he hugged you back, as tears formed in your eyes. You couldn't believe you forgot your own birthday and was grateful for your friends for throwing this party. At least you had _some_ people who loved you; unlike your stupid mom.

"Thank You!" You said softly.

"No problem, I would do anything for you." He smiled gently and looked into your eyes. Your heart melted at his words.

"_Ahem.._. Sorry to ruin you lovebird moment here, but Reina's got a cake to attend to." Hayner said, while Olette and Pence snickered.

"Shut up!" Roxas said playfully and you turned to blow out the fifteen candles on the cake.

_Happy Birthday to You!_

_Happy Birthday to You!_

_Happy Birthday dear Ray-nah,_

_Happy Birthday to You!_

"Cut the cake, I'm starving." Hayner whined, putting a hand over his tummy.

"You're always starving." Pence said, earning a glare from Hayner.

Olette handed you a plastic cake-cutter and all of you loaded your plates with cake and sat down to watch to sunset. It was gorgeous, as always. The colors of the sunset clashed with the slowly darkening town but that's what makes Twilight Town so special.

The two opposites, the darkness of the town and the sunset's light, came together to make something beautiful and unique is what gives the town its charm.

"Thanks, you guys." You said out loud, while munching on the soft, brown cake. It was delicious and you were sure it was Olette's cooking that made it so.

"Oh don't thank _us_." Pence said, giving a mischievous smirk.

"Yeah. Don't thank us, thank ol' _Roxy_ over there." Hayner said, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully.

"Hey! " Roxas exclaimed and you poked Hayner with your fork, along with giving him a Death Glare.

"OK, ok, fine." Hayner said, shutting up at the sight of your face.

"What do you think about the Struggle match next week, you guys?" Olette said, changing the subject.

"Me and Roxas are going to enter, aren't we?" Hayner said, smiling. Hayner and Roxas were easily the best strugglers in the group, though you came pretty close.

"Yeah. We'll make it to the finals and take the prize then we'll split it up!" Roxas said.

"I can't wait to see the look on Seifer's face when you guys beat him!" you said, grinning.

"Seifer's not feeling so hot, y'know?" Pence said, doing an uncanny imitation of Rai, one of Seifer's goons. Everybody started laughing and thinking about the upcoming Struggle tournament when Pence snapped you from thinking about anything.

"Hey, do you guys think we'll always be together like this?" Pence asked out loud, fiddling with his cake.

"I sure hope so…..why d'you ask?" Olette said.

"Oh…I don't know…just thinking out loud I guess." Pence replied. Nobody had anything to say to that. The thought of leaving each other hit everyone like a tidal wave.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked, looking at me.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that…I feel summer ended so quickly. After this, we won't be able to spend so much time together, right?" you said, letting your feelings out.

"Well, I doubt we can be together forever. But isn't that what growing up is all about? What's important isn't how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other. Right?" Hayner said seriously, in one of his rare 'moments'.

"Yeah!" you said, "I'll never forget any of you guys!"

"Promise?" Roxas asked with a grin.

"Yeah, promise" you said looking into his eyes. You two sat like that for a while, before a diversion caused you two to break apart.

"What the hell?!" Hayner shouted. Apparently, Pence accidentally dropped cake on Hayner's head when he got up to get more. All of you guys started laughing and Hayner glared at Pence.

"That means more cake for you I guess." Olette said, laughing.

Then, it seemed an evil idea struck Hayner and he grabbed a handful of cake, ready to swing it Pence.

"Oh, gosh, no!" Pence screamed, realizing what Hayner was about to do and scrambled off, with Hayner chasing him, cake-faced and angry. After a long session of cracking up, Olette got up and said, "I'll go get those idiots." which left you and Roxas alone. After a few moments of chuckling, the air went silent, except for the distant sounds of the train. The sun was sending its last golden rays before setting down for the day.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Roxas said, reaching for his pocket and pulling something out. "It's for you." He said, handing the gift to you. You looked at it and gasped. It was a small star-shaped locket hanging from a silver delicate chain. Just like the one in your dream.

"Do you like it? I made it by all myself." Roxas asked nervously.

"I-it's gorgeous." You said truthfully. Even though the freaky coincidence of the same necklace being in your dream, it actually was beautiful and the chain sparkled even in the last rays of light. In addition, it opened up to reveal two pictures: one with you and the group and another with you and another with just you and Roxas, faces touching.

"There's this old myth that goes with it too, "Roxas went on, "They say if you share of a paopu fruit with anyone, your hearts will be intertwined forever. And I always want my heart to be next to yours. I love you." You looked up at him, tears forming in your eyes.

"I love you too, Roxas."

He leaned toward you and you leaned in too, and soon you lips touched, getting you two into a passionate kiss that made you want to press a 'pause' button and hold forever. There seemed to be a fire ignited in both of you and you never wanted it go out.

"Aww…it's so cute." Olette said from the corner, too far away for you to notice.

"At the rate they're going, they might as well buy a house and-"Hayner started but Pence nudged him the ribs and giving him a glare.

"Hey, don't look at me like that! I still have to get for the cake you know-" Hayner said and Pence started to open his mouth but Olette shushed them.

"We don't want to ruin this for them, guys!" Olette said.

But to you, nothing can ruin this day.

:.--.:

You came walking back home, feeling a little dazed but elated nonetheless. The door was locked, which meant that your mom was out somewhere with her boyfriend, no doubt.

You jabbed the keys into the lock and went in feeling weirdly sleepy. Maybe the cake made you crash. You decided to go to sleep, but when you entered your bedroom, you froze in horror.

Standing there was a tall person cloaked in some black garb.

"Wh-what d'you want?"

The person didn't reply, but you started running down the hall, trying to get out of the house. In a haze of a darkness you recognized, the man appeared, grabbing a hold of your wrist and taking you into the dark portal.

:.--.:

"Have you done what I asked you to?" said a male voice as a cloaked person appeared beside him.

"Yes, DiZ." the person replied.

"Good." Diz said approvingly, "If all goes well, we might have the second key."

"I'm not sure if she'll be able to reach the purest part of her heart if she still has memories of Roxas." the cloaked person said.

"When she meets him," DiZ nodded to the person on a bunch of blue screens, "her memories of Roxas will eventually fade, along with Roxas himself. He can't hold on to everything and shall eventually have to give everything back."

"So…he'll just fade?" the hood man asked and DiZ nodded.

"What a pity…" the hooded person said

"It is the fate of a Nobody." DiZ said.

:.--.:

You woke up to the loud sounds of laughter the next morning . You recognized it was your mom's and her boyfriend's voices. You rolled your eyes angrily and got ready to go straight to the Usual Spot, thinking about the weird dream.

Tall man in black cloak? Going into a weird dark portal? Yeah right.

You laughed and decided telling Roxas about it.

….Roxas!

Memories from yesterday flooded into you and you turned deep red just thinking about the kiss. You looked into the mirror and touched the star necklace he gave you and beamed.

He loves you!

Hurriedly, you got ready, and half-skipped over to the Usual Spot, excitement rising in your chest.

When you got there, you noticed only 3 people were there: Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Hey guys." You greeted them and looked around, "where's Roxas?"

The three stared at you blankly before asking, "…erm, who?"

"Roxas….you know, blond hair blue eyes….?" You said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The three shook their heads and looked at you as if you're crazy. You realized it could be some practical joke they were pulling off…but this wasn't funny…and all of them seemed to be serious.

"What d'you mean you don't know him? What about yesterday? On the Station Tower?" you said but they still gave you the same look.

"It was just us four yesterday, Reina…."Pence said, sharing worried glances with Hayner and Olette.

"How could you forget him!" you said outraged.

"Reina, are you sure you're feeling ok?" Olette said gently, putting her hand on your forehead. You flinched and said, "I…I don't know…I think I need some fresh air…" you said before turned and heading outside where the cool summer breeze hit your face. Each corner you faced, you had a hope he would show up on the other side…and after every turn you had the same disappointment: he wasn't there.

He wasn't anywhere.

But you didn't give up and kept telling yourself, '_He might be there….let's double-check this place….maybe around this corner...or the next...or the….'_

You searched every place twice, asked everyone who knew him but they all gave the same answer: "Who's Roxas?"

You walked around town, frustrated. How could everyone forget him in just one night? You remembered last night and recalled how it felt like a dream. But you knew it wasn't a dream; all those memories, all the times together, they just couldn't be a made-up facade.

Right?

And you couldn't forget him like everyone else did, you made a promise not to forget him and it was going to stay as a promise.

'_That hooded guy….he did something to everyone…_' you thought desperately, even though you knew it was just a dream. _'But what?'_ You went walking like that for a while; head down in thinking, when you bumped into someone.

"Oh, Sorr-" you started when you looked into two, clear blue eyes, "Roxas!" you exclaimed, but it wasn't him.

It was the boy from your dream.


	3. Destiny

"My name isn't Roxas…" the Dream Boy said as your face flamed in embarrassment when you realized it wasn't Roxas. Your heart fell once again and it felt like you somehow lost Roxas.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else" You said, trying to hide your disappointment and put a smile on your face. You were so used to the disappointment of not finding him that you were tired of not smiling.

"It's ok. I'm looking for someone too." the boy said, giving a kind smile. At that moment, you thought if he didn't have brown hair, you wouldn't have believed it was Roxas. That same sweet smile, the same sparkling blue eyes….

*_This guy looks __exactly__ like him.*_

You looked at his too-small clothes and two companions, whom you didn't notice before. One of them was a short duck in a blue outfit and the other was a tall, gentle looking dog.

"Are you guys new?" you asked curiously.

"Erm…yeah. I'm Sora, this is Donald-" he beckoned to the duck who smiled at you, "and this is Goofy." He motioned toward the dog who gave a little wave and said, "Hiya"

"Hi" you said in a friendly tone, "My name's Reina and this is Twilight Town."

"Nice to meet ya, Reina" Goofy greeted politely.

"Same here. Who were you searching for?" you said kindly.

"By any chance have seen a guy named Riku anywhere?" Sora asked eagerly

"Or the King?" Donald chimed in. Riku? The King? You thought hard but couldn't remember anything about people with those names.

*_Maybe they were separated while traveling?*_ you thought.

"Erm…" you said, thinking while tapping a figure to your lips, "No, sorry. but if you need any other help, I'll be in a place in the Back Alley. It's hard to miss" you said, while pointing in the same direction you were mentioning.

"Oh, ok" Sora said sulkily. He looked so sad that he made you want to help him in some way but you knew you wouldn't be able to. Besides, you had someone of your own to search for.

"Yeah, see ya" you said, giving a small, friendly wave and heading toward the Usual Spot. The same helpless and disappointing feeling crept back. You knew once you got back, Roxas wouldn't be there for you, no matter how many times you checked the town.

_*I wonder where he is…where ever he is, I hope he's fine….* _you thought as you walked away, staring at the pink and orange sky.

While you were leaving, Sora had a weird feeling in his chest, like something lost was found again. But that was crazy; he still hadn't found Riku of the King yet.

"Are you feeling okay?" Donald asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, it's nothing…c'mon, let's go." Sora said, shaking the feeling off and he and his companions headed toward the Train Station.

When you arrived to the Usual Spot, Hayner, Pence and Olette were in a tight circle, discussing something serious.

"Reina, you won't believe it!" Pence said excitedly, when you walked in.

"What?" you asked immediately interested. It wasn't usual that all three of your friends were so worked about something.

"There was this guy-" Hayner started and your mind automatically went toward Roxas. Maybe they found him!

"Uh-huh…." You held your breath excitedly.

"-and he had had huge, round ears! We couldn't see his face though." Pence said, making circular motions with his hand. Round ears? It couldn't have been Roxas.

"Oh…" you said glumly, "what else?"

"He was searching for some people…what was it..? Oh yeah, Sora, Donald, and Goofy." Olette said, ticking each one off with her fingers.

"Hey, I know those guys!" you exclaimed, getting up immediately.

"How?" Hayner asked.

"I bumped into them. They said they were searching for someone, I guess that was the person they were looking for." You replied.

"I wonder where they're from…they don't look like they're from here." Pence said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that guy certainly didn't look like he was from this town…" Hayner recalled.

You wondered that too. You thought Sora and his friends came from the coast at first, but then wouldn't they know that this was Twilight Town? They didn't seem like they did. Then they might not have come from anywhere around, they might have come from somewhere far away…like a new world…but that isn't possible. There was no access to anywhere other than the coast around here. Then where-?

"Hey, you should ask them about that Roxas guy. Maybe they can help you." Olette told you, breaking your train of thought. You nodded slowly. It hurt you to see that your friends were talking about him as a stranger.

"It's weird. I know I've never heard the name before, but it seems so familiar." Hayner said. You sighed and hoped very much that Sora and his friends knew something about Roxas.

As you walked out the Usual Spot you tripped and fell over something.

"Ow…" you groaned as you rubbed your elbow. You turned and saw it was a skateboard, the same one Roxas rides. You smiled at the memories it brought back.

~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_flashback_~*~*~*

"Wow, you almost got it!" he told you

"But I almost died!" you whined.

"Ok, then, we'll try again next time." He said. It was a muggy summer evening and you and Roxas were at the Station Plaza; Roxas was teaching you how to skateboard.

"If you keep that up you'll be able to do it in no time!" Roxas said encouragingly.

"Aw, don't lie. I'm horrible." You said miserably.

"I don't" he said kindly, making your heart melt.

"Thank you Roxas." You said gratefully.

"No problem. After all, nobody in the world is a better skater than me" he said with the cocky grin you love.

"Oh yeah? Just you wait bighead, I'm going to be the best and you're going to be eating your words." You said playfully.

"Hey, who you're calling bighead?" he said, pretending to be offended.

"You!" you said giving a laugh before running away from Roxas, who was chasing you, the skateboard under his arm.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_end flashback_~*~*~*~~*

You got up and started to ride the skateboard, which you could do perfectly now. After asking the local people you found out that Sora was last seen headed toward the Train Station. As you went around, you thought about if Sora, your necklace and the dream were still just a 'coincidence'. Now that you thought about it, you felt it was more than that…

You glided gracefully, weaving in and out of the local people, thinking about today and everything that happened in the seemingly short hours. You've lost Roxas, your friends don't remember him, and you've met someone who looks exactly like him. Wow. You wondered if you should take a train and head out somewhere to find him. It would be better than being stuck at Twilight Town for the last weeks of summer, with friends who didn't even remember him. Besides it would feel like an adventure…maybe you could even bring your friends along to find him.

That thought, however, blanked out from your head when you arrived at the Train Station. When you got there, you froze in horror as you laid eyes on a huge group of the same black creatures, the same _you saw in your dream_.

"This isn't possible…" you whispered to yourself. The same black creatures were in your dream…and they were _just _a dream…but then why are they here now, in front of you, real enough to touch? (though that was the last thing wanted to do )

And all the other things…the necklace…Sora…they couldn't have just been a coincidence either.

"Fire!" you heard a familiar voice shout. You looked up to see Sora and his friends fighting the monsters, each of them with their own special weapon. You started at each of them, half deciding to make a run for it and get help. You soon realized you had no time for that, the dark monsters were approaching you and you threw the skateboard toward them. It didn't seem to do much damage to them, as they kept approaching you, making your heart rate rise ten times more than normal. They were yards away…feet away…_inches_ away...

_*Help!!!*_ You thought, hoping with every inch of your heart that some form of help would arrive.

Sora noticed you and shouted, "Hey look out!" and pointing behind you.

When you turned around to see what he was pointing at, you saw that it was a monster, getting ready to jump on you and you crossed your arms in front of you, hoping it'd somehow disappear. In that same moment, a flash of light appeared around you and a key materialized in your open hand. It was silver with a black metallic handle. It was just like the one in your dream.

"Whoa…" you muttered softly.

*_This isn't possible…_* you thought and decided to try it out on some of the monsters, just like you did in the dream. You slashed some of the small creature and they vanished in a haze of darkness.

"Hey, look out!" Sora yelled, coming to your aid and slashing out the creatures easily and quickly. He killed them off like he did this a million times before. As for the others, they seemed like they had the same experience: Donald was shooting fire out of his wand, quickly eliminating the closest enemies around him. As for Goofy, he spun with a shield that was used for both defense and offense. But as for you, all you did was stand around in the same place, hacking at the surrounding monsters while Sora did most of the work of destroying the creatures.

"Won't they give up?" you shouted, noticing that Sora, Donald and Goofy were slowing down and the monsters kept on coming.

"It's no use," Sora groaned, "There's too many of them!" with that, Sora, Donald and Goofy collapsed, leaving you to deal with the surrounding creatures.

"Oh crap…" you muttered when they kept advancing. You looked over at Sora and the other two. They looked seriously worn out and they were in no condition to fight anymore.

Putting your brave face on, you thought to yourself * _It's_ _just another Struggle match…just with a thousand scary black things that want to hurt me…I can do this…*_

Before you could take the first strike though, a short black hooded figure with large round ears jumped in front of you and finished the monsters swiftly and quickly.

*_Whew…talk about being on time_* you thought in relief. As you took in his features (mostly his distinctive round ears) in to view, you realized this was the person Olette, Hayner and Pence were talking about! You turned to the others to tell them, but you didn't need to since Donald and Goofy both exclaimed "Your Majesty!"

*_Woah…a real king.._* You thought in awe. You've always imagined royalty to be all high and fancy and minded only about themselves but this guy made you think twice about that.

"Shhh…" the King whispered, thrusting an orange pouch in Sora's hand, "Take Reina along with you. The train will know where to go." He said softly.

"But-"you started. How can some stranger just tell you to go with 3 other strangers?

"You would want to," he told you, "You'll find what you're searching for." You shut your mouth, dumbstruck. How did he know that you were looking for someone?

"Take care, and good luck." He said giving a half-glance at you before he disappeared, leaving you confused. When he left, the weapon disappeared from your hand.

"Anyone wanna explain this?" you said after a long silence, turning toward them.

"The Heartseeker!" Donald exclaimed, pointing at your hand. You looked down and saw the key-like weapon.

"Heart...seeker?" you repeated. What an odd name for a weapon. Donald snatched it from your hand and examined it closely with wide eyes.

"Hey! Give that back!" you said, reaching out for it, but Donald moved it away from you, still looking at it. You didn't need to try to take it away from Donald twice though; the Heartseeker magically reappeared in your hand.

"Wow…" you muttered softly.

"So _that's_ why the King is telling us to bring her along!" Goofy said, as if he figured out a huge problem.

"Why?" you asked.

"The Heartseeker's something that the King told us about ages ago. I think he said something like it was a 'Second Key' or something." Goofy replied, scratching his head.

"I don't remember much but the King told us that the Heartseeker and the Keyblade have some sort of connection. But I don't think he found out the connection yet, though." Donald added.

You looked down at the Heartseeker. It looked like Sora's Keyblade but at the end, instead of a having a crown design, there was a heart design with a tiny crown etched above it.

"So, I guess I'll have to stick with you guys, huh? Until that King-guy figures out whatever this connection is." You said raising the Heartseeker to the light. It shimmered than disappeared, and you knew it would come when you needed it.

"Right, all for one and one for all!" Sora said, grinning and putting his hand out. Donald and Goofy put their hands out, palm down, and you smiled and put your hand in too.

"I have a question, though. Have heartless been coming here for a long time?" Sora asked you.

"Heartless…?" you repeated blankly.

"Those little black creatures." Donald explained.

"No, but…" you said hesitantly, "I saw them and the Heartseeker in m dream. And I know it isn't just a coincidence either. It seems like something more." You said, omitting the fact that Sora and the necklace were in the dream too.

"Then it's destiny." Sora said simply.

"How?" you asked.

"That same thing happened to me" he said with a smile, "At first it was like, 'this too unreal!' But then I realized that it was what I was supposed to do, that it was destiny. "

You looked down at the Heartseeker. Maybe you were supposed to use this to help Sora and his friends…and to use it to find Roxas. Yeah, that was it. You nodded to show that you understood.

"So, when are we leaving?" you asked eagerly. You wanted to leave as soon as possible, to start your journey on finding Roxas.

"We should be leaving right now." Sora answered.

"You should really get your stuff ready now. We still have a couple of minutes left, so hurry." Donald said.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" you said cheerfully, before speeding off.

~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Sora's POV**

You watched as she as she sped away around the corner and disappeared from veiw.

"…Sora, are you even listening?" Donald shouted. You scratched the back of your head.

"Sorry…" you muttered, still thinking about Reina. There was something about her that you recognized...Something about her felt familiar.

"Sora!!!" Donald screamed, obviously frustrated.

"Gawrsh, Sora, are you OK?" Goofy asked.

"Sorry, sorry.." you apologized and pushed Reina out of your mind. Besides, you were gonna stay who-knows-how-long with her and you'll be able to figure it out in no time. ..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Reina's POV**

You were walking back to the station, with a roller suitcase and your friends in tow. You told them all about the journey and, surprisingly, they accepted your idea. You talked to them excitedly about your journey and promised them that you'll come back soon. You finally reached the station where Sora was purchasing tickets.

"Thanks" he said to the ticket cashier while putting the orange pouch back in his pocket. There was something familiar about that…

"Hey" you greeted with a smile.

"Hi. So you're ready?" Sora said, returning your smile.

"Yep. Let's-"before you could say 'go', Hayner pushed you aside and said, "So _you're_ Sora."

"Uh…yeah" Sora replied, surprised.

"Well you better take care of Reina then. If anything happens to her…" he said in a threatening way.

"Hayner!" Olette said reproachfully and you guys kept walking until you saw an odd purple train with star-shaped windows and a wizard's hat.

*_That's funny...I've never saw this one before_*you thought.

"Well, then, I guess this is goodbye." Pence said, turning to you. You gave him a long hug in response.

"I'll be back soon!" you said, hugging Olette.

"Y-you better be!" Olette said, tears evident in her tone.

"See ya soon" you said to Hayner, who gave you one of his rare, sadness-filled smiles.

"Yeah, I'd better see you soon, how can you expect me to pass History class without copying your homework?" Hayner said teasingly. You laughed and gave one, final hug.

"Hey…" Pence said, addressing Sora "Have we met before?"

Sora scratched his head while thinking. "Nope. Why'd you ask?"

Hayner looked intently at Sora for a moment, like as if Sora reminded him of someone. He finally shrugged it off with a smile and said, "I dunno…"

"You know…it feels like we've met before." Olette said smilingly.

Sora smiled brightly at you guys for a while but then a seemed sadness overwhelmed him and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Sora…why are you crying? Are you okay?" you asked, concerned. It was odd to see him cry, especially since there was no reason for him to water up.

"Huh?" he touched his cheek and looked surprised when he felt something wet.

"Are you ok?" Olette asked kindly.

"Yeah…dunno where that came from." He said, trying to play it off with a smile.

"Don't worry, you can see us anytime!" Pence said with a smile but his tone became strained for some reason.

"Right." He said with another grin and jumped onto the train. "See ya!" He took the suitcase with him, making you the only thing left that was supposed to be on the train- Donald and Goofy were already inside.

"Bye, then…I'll see you guys soon, I promise!" you said bravely, with an attempt not to cry; you knew that once you came back, there would be endless teasing on Hayner's part for just that one moment.

"Bye…come back soon!" Olette, Pence and Hayner said in unison.

You turned, taking Sora's hand into the train that would help you fulfill your destiny. A destiny in which there were endless sadness, happiness and very, very deep secrets.

You were blissfully unaware of them, driven with only with a single thought in your mind:

*_I'm going to find you, Roxas_*


	4. Smile

You had to admit, when you first boarded the train, you knew nothing about Sora, Donald or Goofy, even though you were on a quest to find Roxas with them. But after going this train ride with them, you felt like you knew them for years, especially Sora.

"…and when we woke up, we didn't know where we were or how we got there. That's when we met you." Sora concluded his vague story about how he met Goofy and Donald while he was searching for his two friends, all the way to the point where they fell asleep for a very long time.

Every time you took a glance at Sora, your heart took a tiny leap—you guessed it was because he looked so much like Roxas.

*_Roxas…*_ you thought sadly. It was only yesterday that you were in the arms of the one you loved with all your heart-

"So, where's this train going anyway?" you asked, trying to divert your mind. You couldn't break down now, especially in front of your new found friends. You had to be strong.

"I don't know," Donald replied "But it must be important or else the King wouldn't have sent us." You nodded.

Speaking about the King…you remembered when he told you '_You would want to…you'll find what you're searching for._'

How does he know you're searching for Roxas? Has he been watching you? You doubted that; you would've noticed if there was someone dressed fully in black with such distinctive ears following you. Maybe he overheard you asking one of the locals about him or….maybe he knew something you didn't.

"Hey, guys" you called for their attention, "how does that King guy know I'm searching for someone?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all thought for a long time, but none of them could produce an answer.

"I guess that's a question you hafta ask the King himself." Goofy said.

"Oh, ok." you muttered. It was disappointing, especially since the question blazed in your head like a wildfire.

"So, who _are_ you looking for?" Sora asked casually.

"My best friend." You said immediately. You've never mentioned Roxas as your boyfriend (out loud, at least) and you were always in the habit of saying _'we're just friends_' to Hayner, Pence and Olette whenever they asked you if there was something going on with you and Roxas.

"I'm looking for my best friend too." Sora said with a smile.

"Well, good thing on the same train, then. We'll find our friends together!" you said cheerfully.

"Promise?" Sora said, reminding you of Roxas for a second.

"Yeah…promise…" you smiled before trailing off in your memories.

It was quiet like that; everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, a flash of blue caught your eye. You looked at Sora, who had a sparkling, blue round crystal in his hand. He was holding it up to the fading sun, and even in the low lighting, the crystal glittered brilliantly.

"Wow…" you breathed, walking across to Sora's seat to get a better look.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Sora commented. You nodded, not taking your eyes off the beautiful jewel.

"It's just the color of his eyes." You recalled.

"You must really miss him, dontcha?" Sora said, bringing down the crystal from the light.

"Yeah, I miss him a lot." You admitted, as Sora stuffed the crystal in the orange pouch.

"Are we there yet?" Sora asked out loud.

"No, be patient!" Donald quacked from the front seat. Goofy was snoozing peacefully, taking up several seats.

"What about you? Don't you miss your best friend?" you asked and Sora flashed a grin.

"Yeah, of course. Ever since I was little, it always used to be me, him and Kai-"he started, but his words were drowned out by a loud screech from the train.

"Finally! We're off!" Donald said, jumping off the train. Goofy awoke with a start and gazed blearily across the train before stretching and walking sluggishly off the train.

"C'mon, I can't wait to see this place!" you said excitedly and jumped off the train. Sora smiled at you as you ran off and went after you.

"Hey, wait for me!" he yelled, jumping off the train. As soon as he got off, though, the train disappeared as if it was never there.

"Heh…there goes our ride…" Sora chuckled nervously.

"Oh no!" you shouted, clapping your hand to your forehead, "My stuff was in there!"

"Don't worry; we can get some new stuff later." Donald said dismissively.

"But there was-" you started, but Goofy put a finger to his lips.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

"Someone's already here." Said Goofy, pointing to a large, rotund person with large, pointy ears who seemed be wearing some suit of armor.

"What's going on?" Sora asked the guy.

The guy chuckled and didn't look at you. "I sent some of my lackeys inside to see if the master of this tower's as big and as tough as they say. Word is, he's a real powerful sorcerer, which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me. See, it don't matter how tough he is - once he's a Heartless, he'll do as I say!"

"A heartless?!" Donald exclaimed. The Heartseeker appeared in your hand at the word and you got into a fighting stance and so did the others.

"That's right. They're the things that come outta the darkness in folks' hearts," he explained, without even taking a glance at you, "Why, with all those heartless at her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!"

You saw the guys relax and you gave Sora a questioning look. Sora slid a finger across his throat and made a funny face. You laughed and remembered what he told you about Maleficent on the train.

"And since I've got a debt to pay, I'm goin' 'round to a bunch of different worlds and buildin' an army of heartless, special for her." He said with a satisfied chuckle. You exchanged amused grins with Sora, Donald and Goofy.

It seemed like he finally realized he was spilling secrets to a bunch of secrets to strangers because he then scolded, "Why am I talking to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go on, scram! I'm behind schedule as it is."

"You 'oughta to find something nicer to do." Goofy said.

"Says who—whaa? It's you!" he exclaimed in surprise as he turned around.

"Pete?" Goofy and Donald shouted in unison. It seemed that they were as shocked as he was.

You gave Sora a questioning glance and he shrugged. "You _know_ him?" Sora and you asked at once.

"We sure do! Pete's been causing trouble for ages! His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped." Goofy explained thoughtfully.

Pete started laughing."You wanna know, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now your world - no, no, no, **all** words - are gonna belong to yours truly... 'Cause Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em!" he with a satisfied smile.

"Maleficent, huh?" Sora smirked as he turned to look at your laughing faces.

"What are you laughin' at? Why, Maleficent's power is _so_ great that—" Pete started but Sora cut him off

"She's toast." He snickered.

"Whaddya mean?" Pete yelled, outraged. Then, realization hit his face as he exclaimed, "You! So _you're_ the ones who did it!" he waved an accusing finger at you guys.

Sora grinned and wrapped his arms behind his head. "Well, we _mighta _had something to do with it." He said with a mischievous smile.

Pete, who was shaking like a volcano, shouted "Heartless squad! Round up!"

At his words, heartless appeared at his words and you raised your Heartseeker in a fighting position. You started hacking at surrounding heartless while Donald and Goofy fought those out of range. Sora stayed close to you, in case if something happened. Soon enough, the Heartless were finished off which left the four of you with a satisfying victory.

"Yay, we did it!" you cheered while giving Sora a high five.

Pete seemed to explode with anger at your victory and shouted, "Just you wait! Nobody and I mean _nobody_ messes with the mighty Pete!" You chuckled at his emphasis of 'mighty'.

"So, _mighty_ Pete," Sora mocked, "who lives in this tower anyway?"

"Oh ya don't know, eh? Well it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a heartless by now!" he said haughtily.

Donald stared at him in disbelief. "Master Yen Sid lives **here**?"

"Yen Sid is the King's teacher!" Goofy explained at Sora's and your confused faces. Donald and Goofy ran inside.

"Wow, sounds powerful!" you said, as Sora nodded. The both of you ran inside leaving Pete with his mouth hanging open.

~*~

"C'mon, guys!" you said, racing up the stairs. The stairs, for you, were nothing as you went up and down staircases in Twilight Town a million times. But for Sora, Donald and Goofy, who just woke up after a very long nap, it was like trying to climb a mountain barefoot. You waited for them, next to a green door with a star on it. Suddenly, groups of Heartless appeared, startling you and you lost your footing on the stairs. You felt yourself drop, but before you hit the ground, Sora caught you and you faced him.

"Whoa, be careful there. Are you okay?" he asked, helping you up. You determinedly avoided his eyes.

"Yup! Thanks!" you assured brightly, summoning the Heartseeker into your hands and you started slashing the Heartless. You were getting better at the whole Heartless-killing thing, but you still weren't as good the other three were. After you and the trio (or maybe just the trio) finished off the Heartless you managed a bright smile to everyone, but they all seemed depressed for some reason.

"Heartless, Heartless, Heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!" Donald growled, stamping his foot.

"It's a good thing we're on the job, then." Goofy said in a would-be cheerful voice but he looked glum too.

"So, the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora said sadly, looking at the floor.

Unable to look at their sadness, you decided to speak up. "Hey, don't lose hope now!" you urged them, "We're so close to meeting that Yen Sid guy and I bet he'll be able to answer why the Heartless are still popping up. I mean, look at him! He's the King's teacher! If he can't tell us, no one can! And…and maybe he'll be able to help us find our friends." You said, catching Sora's eye as you mentioned the last sentence and his eyes flared up with a determination that was contagious.

"She's right, guys. We can't give up now!" he said in a strong voice and Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Right, then let's move." Donald said, and he and Goofy kept going up the stairs.

"Thanks Reina, we needed that." Sora said appreciatively.

"No problem." You smiled, and the two of you followed after Donald and Goofy.

~*~

Your group finally reached a golden door with a star on it. Donald opened the door and rushed in, along with Goofy. You and Sora on the other hand, went in slowly, taking in the large but crowded room. The room was filled with large, old books with notes and bookmarks sticking out of them. Your eyes stopped at an ancient looking man with a long white beard with a blue hat with matching blue robes.

"Master Yen Sid! It's an honor!" Goofy said as he and Donald bowed. You got confused and you ended up copying Donald and Goofy.

"Hey there!" Sora waved.

"Sora! Show some respect!" Donald hissed. Sora grinned awkwardly. Yen Sid acknowledged the three of you who were bowing and you got up. He then spoke in a slow voice.

"So you are Sora. And you must be Reina. I've heard a lot of about you two." He said, turning his eyes from the both of you and addressing everybody, "Now then. Have you seen the King yet?"

"Yes we did, Master. But we didn't get a chance to talk to him." Donald replied.

"Yes, the King has quite been busy of late. Therefore, it seems the task of instructing you four falls upon my shoulders. You have a perilous journey ahead of you and you must be well prepared." Yen Sid told you four.

"You mean…we have to go on another quest?" Sora muttered, looking crestfallen. You were disappointed too.

"But… we were looking forward to finding our friends." You explained.

"I know it must be troubling, but everything in this journey is connected, Reina. Whether you will be able to return safely with your friend, whether Sora will be able to find his friend and return to the islands or whether the islands are going to be there, all rests on the shoulders of you and Sora." Yen Sid explained.

"But, wait a sec, I thought we closed the door to Kingdom Hearts. How come the Heartless are still running around, then?" Sora asked.

"It's true that in your previous journey, you encountered many Heartless and defeated those who controlled them to take over Kingdom Hearts. The Heartless may be weaker now, but they are darkness made real and darkness still yet lingers in every heart. It will be a difficult task to eliminate them all." Yen Sid answered.

Sora, Donald and Goofy each let out a heavy sigh and you felt sorry for them. From what you heard from Sora, it was a lot of work just to close the door to Kingdom Hearts and to know that Heartless were still running around after all that work must feel like your work was for nothing.

"Hmm…then that must mean if everybody's heart was full of light, the Heartless would go away!" you said, after thinking for a moment.

Yen Sid nodded. "Precisely. I believe that's why the King asked you to take on this journey, Reina. The Heartseeker only chooses those with the most pure heart. That person's heart is more pure then all the seven princesses put together. "

"So does that mean she can open keyholes, like the other princesses?" Sora asked.

"Yes. But her heart is much more valuable than that, and that is exactly the reason the Heartless and the Nobodies would want to take her heart." At this note, you felt more conscious of heart than ever.

"What're Nobodies?" you asked, frightened it was some sort of big powerful monster.

"When a heart is consumed by darkness, it separates from the darkness and becomes something known as Heartless. A Heartless has no reason, and attacks humans to steal their soul," Yen Sid explained as he waved a hand and a Shadow Heartless appeared. "Especially a heart as valuable as yours, Reina. Always be alert and cautious, no one knows what they might do to take your heart."

You shivered at the thought of Heartless taking your heart away and consuming it.

"Meanwhile, when a human - evil or good - with a strong heart becomes a Heartless, the shell left behind develops a will and acts on its own. They are called Nobodies and they don't truly exist at all," Yen Sid explained as he summoned white-suited creatures that moved like they were dancing. "On your journey, there will be an alarming amount of Nobodies with frightening and unique powers that will intend to harm you all. Still, they're nothing but empty vessels destined to return to darkness. Nobodies may seem to have feelings, but they only pretend to have hearts."

"That's sad. To not be able to feel…." You trailed off, pitying the poor Nobodies.

"There are some among them that possess intellect and look like humans. They've formed an alliance and control the lesser Nobodies. They call themselves Organization XIII." Yen Sid went on.

"Organization XIII…" Sora trailed off, no doubt thinking about what the Organization XIII might be like. He didn't need to imagine much though; Yen Sid made another wave of his hand and the Nobody was replaced by a person draped in black robes with the face covered by a hood. He seemed familiar…

"Hey! I've seen this guy before!" you exclaimed.

"Where?" Yen Sid asked urgently, his eyes widening. As you opened your mouth to answer him, your head started to spin and you couldn't seem to remember where you saw a member of Organization XIII.

"I…I don't remember. I think it must've been a dream." You muttered, raising your hand to your temple. Yen Sid looked worried.

"You must be careful, Reina. I am certain Organization XIII has powers that we don't know, which just makes it easier for them to try and capture your heart. A source tells me that you're the _key_ to their plan. They'll do anything to get you. Never let your guard down!" Yen Sid warned. You nodded to show you understood. There was no way you were gonna let some creep take your heart!

"Well, at least we know they can control lesser Nobodies." Donald pointed out.

"Like how Maleficent controlled the Heartless!" Goofy recalled.

"Correct. While Heartless use their instinct for action, Nobodies function in a higher manner. They can think and plan and these particular Nobodies seem to be working towards a goal. I am not sure what they're planning, but the King has sensed a worldwide crisis and he's searching every corner of every world to reveal their objective." Yen Sid concluded, closing his eyes.

"So that's why the King said he can't go with us yet…" Goofy said, obviously worrying about him.

"Well, at least you've got _us_ now! We'll make sure those Organization guys don't near any heart!" Sora stuck out his chest importantly and flashed a cocky grin.

"Yeah, you can count on us!" Goofy and Donald joined in and Yen Sid smiled at your group's enthusiasm. Sadly, you couldn't join—you were too busy thinking about that Organization XIII guy. You were pretty sure you saw him before.

'_But where?'_ you thought. You knew it wasn't a dream, you just couldn't remember where you saw him…

"Flora! Fauna! Merryweather!" Yen Sid called loudly, which made you snap out of your thoughts. A door opened and three fairies dressed in green, blue and red bustled in.

"Oh my, oh my, let's start with her!" the fairy dressed in red (apparently named Flora) grabbed your arm and started dragging you into the room where they came from.

"Huh?" You said, confused and wide-eyed. You turned to ask where they were taking you, but the fairies were too fast and you were soon in a large room with one, large mirror. The blue fairy whipped out a tape measure out of thin air with her wand and started measuring you.

"What's going on…?" you asked uncertainly.

"We're going to make you some new clothes, dear! You can't go traveling all of the worlds with just _normal_ clothes!" Fauna, the green fairy said. At 'clothes', you remembered that your suitcase that vanished along with the train. You turned to look at yourself in the mirror. Your clothes were slightly torn with dirt stains.

"I already had some clothes, they disappeared when we came out of the train—"you started, but the blue fairy, Merryweather, shushed you saying, "Hold still!"

"I'm sure the Gummi Ship will get your things, Reina." Flora reassured, looking at your expression.

"What's the—"you tried to ask, but you were cut off once again.

"Done!" Merryweather said proudly and she waved her wand to dress you in a full blue outfit-- blue shirt, blue shorts, blue shoes, blue socks….

"No, no, that won't do!" Fauna said, shaking her head and she waved her wand to turn your clothes all green.

"How dare you!" Merryweather yelled, outraged. She waved her wand and your clothes became all blue once again.

"We can't be squabbling now!" Flora spoke up, ending Fauna and Merryweather's argument. You were glad; it was tiring to see your clothes change green to blue to green and back again.

"All together now!" Flora said, and the three fairies waved their wands at once, sending you into a cloud of light. When it faded, you turned to see yourself into the mirror. You were wearing a lavender hooded shirt over a white tanktop, with black shorts. You were still wearing sneakers with knee-high socks, but these sneakers were much more comfortable. There was a black leathery wristband that wrapped around your hand more than once it had little beads dangling from it. Your hands were covered in black fingerless gloves with a faint heart on them. A black cross belt went over your waist and it completed the whole look.

"She looks so beautiful!" Fauna exclaimed delightedly.

"Yes, lovely!" Merryweather agreed.

"Thank you so much!" you said happily, looking at yourself in the mirror. You turned to look at every angle of your new garment and every inch was simply amazing. You turned to bow to them which seemed the right to do at the moment.

"There's no need for that dear!" Flora said, picking you up from the bow.

"It's our duty to give you the best protection we can offer." Fauna said with a warm smile. At the smile, you felt like you wee something very important. Shaking the feeling off, you returned the smile with a hug and walked out excitedly to show off your new clothes.

"Wow, Reina, you look great!" Goofy complemented, and you gave him a big smile.

"Yeah, it's wonderful!" Donald said, picking at your lavender shirt.

"Thanks!" you said, and turned to Sora, who opened his mouth to talk. Before he could say anything though, the fairies ushered him, Donald and Goofy into the room. You wondered what he was going to say to you.

"So, Reina, do you think you're well prepared for what lies ahead?" Yen Sid asked you unexpectedly. You thought for a moment and an idea formed in your mind.

"Well, I think we'll be more prepared if, you know, if we train with those Nobodies. I think it would help us in the future." You answered nervously. Yen Sid smiled and you knew you gave the right answer.

"I agree," he nodded, "the four of you should train against the Nobodies, it will help you in your journey. I think the yard in front of this tower is the perfect spot, don't you think?" You nodded and took a breath of relief. Now you can shape up your skills, so you wouldn't have to fear the Heartless and the Nobodies taking your heart.

Suddenly, the door opened again and there stood Sora, Donald and Goofy, all dressed in new clothes.

"You guys look great!" you grinned.

"Thanks, you too." Sora muttered embarrassedly, rubbing the back of neck.

"There's something else for you," Merryweather said, "from Yen Sid."

"Ah, Yes," said Yen Sid, standing up and waving a hand toward the window. At the same moment, a large orange and yellow rocket appeared, hovering in midair.

"The Gummi Ship!" Donald, Sora and Goofy yelled in unison.

"It's the vessel that takes us to different worlds." Goofy explained looking at your blank face. Excitement filled you up. You were going to travel to different worlds! In that ship! You wondered excitedly what it would look like inside.

"But before you leave, listen to this. Because of your previous journey - Sora, Donald, and Goofy - the worlds returned to their original states. Although the paths connecting the worlds are closed, you will be able to pass through by using the gates. The Keyblade will serve as your guide. Just like before, it can seal darkness from entering the worlds." Yen Sid informed and Sora nodded.

"Got it!" Sora said, giving him a salute. The rest of you three also did a salute, but only you and Sora flashed him a smile. Then the four of you ran outside, only to be encountered with four stationary Nobodies.

"Don't worry!" you said, bringing out your Heartseeker.

"Why?" Sora asked. You explained everything about your conversation with Yen Sid.

"That's a great idea!" Goofy beamed. The others nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. Now show those Nobodies what we're made of!" you cheered.

"I think we should all take turns against them." Sora reasoned.

"Good idea. I'll go first." Donald said, walking up to the first one, which started reacting immediately.

Donald quickly finished it off, with a combination of fire and thunder spells.

*_I wish I could magic_* you thought miserably.

"My turn!" Goofy cried, and he too, finished the Nobody off with his shield. Then Sora went, and it seemed like he finished off the Nobody the quickest. You studied his moves the most, because you and him had the most similar weapon.

Finally, it was your turn and you approached the Nobody hesitantly. It started moving immediately and you tried to use a move you Sora used.

Well, at least you _tried_ to.

You took a big swing and….

…gracefully landed flat on your face. You heard the trio crack up and you forced a laugh too, though your insides were burning to a crisp from the embarrassment.

"Here." Sora lent out a hand to you and you had the fleeting image of Roxas come to your mind, when you wanted to learn how to ride a skateboard. You graciously took the hand and he showed how to swing and lunge correctly. Donald and Goofy already went inside the Gummi Ship, to make it ready for the big adventure.

"Now you try." He offered and you nervously tried out the new moves on the Nobody. You obviously took the longest to take down the Nobody, but at least you did it with falling on your face again.

"Great! If you keep that up, you'll do it in no time." Sora said encouragingly.

"Yeah right. At this rate, my heart will be gone by…." you stopped mid-sentence, remembering Roxas said the same words Sora mentioned.

"Don't worry you'll get better," Sora said brightly, "Besides, you'll have me. No Heartless can get past me!" he gave you a cocky grin, and you smiled back half-heartedly.

*_I need to stop doing this!_* you thought angrily as you walked with Sora over to the Gummi Ship, *_Sora and Roxas are two different people, no matter how much they look and act alike!_*

"Wait!" Sora said, spreading his arms out in front of you, so you couldn't enter the Ship.

"What happened?" you asked, surprised. Sora smirked.

"This Ship runs on happy faces! No frowning, and no sad faces!" Sora grinned.

"Happy faces?" you questioned, crossing your arms.

"Yep! Without one, you can't enter. " Sora smiled.

"Okay then…" you crossed your eyes and made the silliest smile ever and both you and Sora cracked up.

"Well, you're good to go!" Sora chuckled; sticking a thumb out and both of you entered the Gummi Ship together…

…with the biggest smile either of you had in days.

~*~

"Welcome to the Gummi Ship!" Sora said proudly, showing you around.

You thought the Gummi Ship was going to be huge, but you were wrong. It was actually small, smaller than then your house at least. The living room was bare, with cream walls and the carpet. The only furniture that clothed it was a big, comfy sofa and a small table in front of it. There was an entryway across the room, to what seemed like the kitchen. To your right, there was another long hallway, which had several doors on each side.

"Here's the bath room.." he showed you, pointing to a door to your left, "Here are Donald and Goofy's rooms…" he mentioned a couple of door to your right and left, "and here's my room." You two stopped in front of a room with a sign that read 'Sora's Room' on it. Palm trees and stars went around it, and it looked somehow vaguely familiar. You turned to Sora, who frowned.

"What's wrong?" you asked.

"There's no room for you." He said.

"No, no, I can sleep on the sofa!" you insisted immediately. You didn't to be a burden on them, ever since they took you in on such short notice.

"But you'll get cold." He stated. You smiled kindly at his thoughtfulness.

"Don't worry, I won't." you assured him but he didn't look convinced.

"What's this door?" you changed the subject, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway.

"This? It's the front." Sora said, opening the door. You opened your eyes wide and took in the many colorful devices and buttons that flashed buzzed in every direction. There were three seats; Goofy and Donald occupied two of them, while your suitcase was on the third.

"My stuff!" you cried happily, grabbing your bright green roller bag.

"It was right there when we came into the Gummi Ship." Donald mentioned.

*_So that's what the fairy meant…_* you thought

"I'm going to make something to eat." Goofy informed you all, getting up.

"That sounds great." Sora said, patting his stomach. Goofy left and you followed him to the sofa, where you opened your bag and got settled.

But, by the time you reached your sofa, though, your eyes felt droopy and you felt yourself lying down on the sofa.

*_So comfy…_* you thought happily, spreading out. Before you knew it, you fell into a long and well-deserved slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Sora's POV**

You walked over with to the couch, with two bowls of soup in your hands.

"Reina!" you said in a the same cheery voice you always had when there was food around, "I have some…" you trailed off, looking at her, sleeping face. You set down the bowls of soup on the table in front and stared down at the face of the girl that interested you so much. She seemed so peaceful when she was sleeping. You couldn't explain why, or how come you felt for her so much, just that there was something about her that felt very, very familiar to you.

*_Maybe…maybe it's because she reminds me of Kairi…yeah that's it. Why else would I feel like this…?_* Of course it is, it has to be.

Your mind kept assuring you that this was the reason, though a tiny voice in your heart told you it was something much, much more….

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Do you really think we're doing the right thing?" a redhead dressed in black asked his friend. They were both walking on an empty road, with the night sky helping them from being seen.

"Of course we are. With the use of the Purest Heart, we'll be able to succeed in our plan." His friend replied, his face covered by a hood.

"What if doesn't work? What if she finds out the truth? What then?" the redhead asked.

"We'll work something out." The friend assured coolly. Looking at his friend's anxious face he added, "I don't like this either but she's the only way. Besides, I think _he'll_ be happier that way."

The redhead sighed and still wasn't completely sure about this whole plan. After all, they were toying with someone's **heart**! The redhead sighed and wondered what his best friend would think about this….

* * *

**_!Author's Note!_**

First of all, I want to thank XRarityofTearsX for helping me with the outfit part, it was kind hard. =p

Hm..I think this chapter was kinda boring compared to the other two, or maybe cause I didn't get to enjoy it, as I had homework.

Well, I would love to know what you guys think about this chapter, and remember, **constructive** critisizm is appreciated!

~narcotic-lullaby


	5. Rise and Shine!

_White. It was all I saw when I opened my eyes. I was in a white room, with no windows, no furniture, no…anything._

"_Hello, Reina" A sweet voice called from behind me. I turned to see a girl with an innocent face, with blue eyes and blond hair to match. She wore a simple white dress, and a calm expression. There was a portal of darkness behind her, and something in the back of my head says that I've seen it before…and to stay away from it. But the girl looked so kind, and yet she was staying by it like it was the door to her house._

"_Who are you? And how do you know my name?" I asked her._

"_Don't you remember? We-" She started but then was cut off by a voice that echoed from the dark portal. _

"_Namine!" The girl, supposedly Namine, looked back at it and then turned to me with a serious expression on her face._

"_I'm here to give you a message from Roxas." She stated, her voice suddenly urgent._

"_What did he say?" I asked immediately. It didn't really matter to me at the time who she actually was or how she even knew Roxas. All that mattered was that she had a message from him._

"_He says that he promises to see you soon. And that he loves you." She replied, looking at the portal. I smiled inside, feeling like I can take on anything the world throws at me._

"_What else did he say?"_

"_Namine!" the portal echoed once again._

"_You should ask him that yourself, once he meets you." Namine said with a soft smirk._

"_Can you tell him I love him too? And that he better keep his promise or else, once I find him, I might have to strangle him for keeping me waiting for too long." I requested. Namine chuckled and nodded._

"_Namine!!" the voice from the portal seemed more restless now._

"_Look, I have to leave now, but I'll probably see you soon. Take care." She said, and disappeared, leaving me alone in the blinding light._

~*~

"Wake up, Reina..wake up…" a voice muttered softly, while shaking your shoulder.

"Roxas…?" You mumbled dreamily.

"Nope. It's me" The person said, and you whipped open your eyes, to see a pair of clear, blue ones that belonged to Sora, not Roxas.

"Oh, sorry Sora" You yawned. What a weird dream you had….

"It's ok." Sora waved off, "Anyways, I woke you up to tell you to get ready. We'll be landing soon."

"Really?" you asked excitedly

"Yeah. So hurry up, will ya?" Sora nodded with a huge smile on his face.

"Okay!" you rushed off of your bed to your suitcase and whipped out a toothbrush and some new clothes. Amazingly, the new outfit the fairies gave you was packed alongside your other clothes, without making the bag look bigger. Maybe it was just a special feature about the magical clothes. You hastily got ready; and putting your hair into a neat ponytail, you walked out for breakfast. When you went into the kitchen, however, there was nobody there, other than the lingering smell of food in the air.

*_Maybe they had breakfast when I was sleeping* _you thought, looking at a dirty dish. You opened the fridge and scanned for something edible. Eggs…ew, you hated eggs…..Fruit? Nah…..

"Ohhh…" you said delightedly, looking at a sandwich already made for you. You grabbed it, raised it to your lips and….

"BOO!"

…you jumped in fright and the sandwich slipped from your hands and onto the floor. You heard laughter.

"_Sora_!!! What the heck?!" you scolded, giving him a Death Glare. When he met your eyes he stopped though signs of laughter were evident on his face.

"Sorry, I was bored. Besides, your expression was _priceless_." He said, bursting into laughter again. You groaned mournfully at the loss of such a delicious breakfast. Sora helped you pick up the remnants and you felt your stomach grumbling.

"I'm still hungry…" you grumbled, opening the fridge door again, hoping another sandwich would pop up magically.

"You know what?" Sora said

"Hm?"

"I'm going to _make_ you breakfast. That way, we'll be even."

You looked hopefully. "Really?"

"Yup. Just sit, relax and let Chef Sora work magic!" he said with a smile and you laughed.

"Fine, _Chef Sora_, just hurry up, I'm hungry." You grinned and walked out, while Sora worked. You headed straight to the Front, where you guessed Donald and Goofy would be.

"Hey Goofy, hey Donald" you greeted the two, who were previously chatting about their destination.

"Hello Reina" Donald welcomed with a smile.

"How're ya doin'?" Goofy asked.

"Fine…just hungry." You muttered sullenly.

"There's an extra sandwich Goofy made for you." Donald pointed out.

"Yeah, well…" you explained how Sora caused you to lose your breakfast to the floor.

"That _is_ the type of thing he would do." Donald murmured, shaking his head. Goofy chuckled, agreeing.

"Reina, what type of food do you like to eat?" Goofy asked you since he was the Ship's cook.

"Hmmm," you said, tapping a finger on your lips, "I like almost everything, especially seafood. I don't really like red meat, though."

"Really? Me too!" Donald said in wonder. He probably thought he was the only one who didn't like it.

"You don't like red meat either?" Goofy said, a little taken aback.

"Nah, it just kinda makes me sick." You thought, thinking of all the blood and nastiness that went along with red meat. No wonder it had 'red' in front of it.

"What else don't you like?"Donald asked. At that same moment, Sora bursted in with a glass of orange juice and a plate filled with none other then—

"Eggs?" you said, trying to hide your disappointment.

"It's the only thing I know how to make." Sora admitted sheepishly.

You hesitantly took a bite of the slightly charred egg and chewed it quickly, while thinking *_This is nutrition, It's good for you…it's not that bad…take it like a medicine…._*

"How is it?" Sora asked anxiously.

"It's great." You lied immediately, which brought a smile to his face.

"Thank you." He said, pleased. You took each bite with a gulp of orange juice, while Sora, Donald and Goofy talked.

"So, where are we headed anyway?" Sora asked. You looked up from you food, interested in anything that wasn't egg.

"Chip and Dale told us that we seem to be heading on the same path we used to take to go to Hallow Bastion." Donald informed you guys.

"I remember Hallow Bastion," Goofy recalled fondly, "That's where we defeated Maleficent, where the seven princesses met, and where Sora—"

"Yeah, I miss Hallow Bastion too," Sora flushed, "I wonder how Leon and the others are doing. You raised an eyebrow and felt immediately that something was being hidden from you.

"Leon?" you asked curiously.

"A friend we met our first world, Traverse Town." Sora said, giving a please-shut-up glance to Goofy who looked apologetic.

"Oh yeah…I remember. Wasn't he the one who told you about the Keyblade?" you recalled, remembering what Sora's vague story said about the trio's first ever world.

"Yeah." Sora said, looking a little relieved. You wondered what was being hidden from you.

"We'll be landing at Hallow Bastion now, hang tight!" a small high voice that recognized as Chip's came out from a radio-like device. There was a sudden, violent shake and a blinding flash of light and through the large glass dome you saw a huge, worn out castle in the distance.

"Welcome to Hallow Bastion!" Dale's voice rang out from the radio.

~*~

Everything about Hallow Bastion—from the blue cobblestone paths all the way up to the tall, broken up castle—interested you.

"Wow…" you breathed, taking in the feeling of going to a new world.

"Gawrsh, it looks kinda different now" Goofy said, looking around. You four were in a place that resembled Twilight Town's Market Street; there were shops everywhere and a lot of shoppers to accompany it. On the horizon, there was the worn out castle you've seen earlier and now, seeing it up close, it seemed like an ancient haunted mansion no one wanted to get close to.

"That's where we fought Maleficent, huh guys?" Sora asked, pointing to the castle. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Wow, so you're saying that only a year ago this place was infested with Heartless and controlled by some evil witch?" you said, amazed.

"Right on. It doesn't even _feel _like a year though…" Sora said, scratching his head.

"Yeah…I just hope Leon and the others are doing okay though." Donald thought out loud.

"Let's go find them, then" you suggested excitedly. The three nodded in agreement and the four of you set out to find Leon and his friends. As you were walking, something caught Goofy's eye.

"Look!" he exclaimed and you all turned to look at some Heartless on a building rooftop. They disappeared as soon as they sensed your group was watching them.

"Looks like we're going to be doing some fighting." You groaned.

"Well, at least you'll be able to shape up your _skills_" Sora teased recalling how you fell flat on your face when you were trying to hit a Nobody.

"Shut up!" you said grumpily, thinking about making a slight about his cooking while Donald and Goofy laughed heartily.

"Hmph." You mumbled, sending a glare to Sora. Suddenly, a white round pattern on the ground appeared.

"What the heck is—"you started but it stopped in front of your group and popped out of the ground in the form of a machine like sphere. Donald jumped back in surprise, and the machine made a small beeping noise before moving away.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Donald exclaimed.

"A Claymore. That's the town's defense mechanism." A female voice informed you. You craned your neck around to finally spot a girl with short black hair, standing on the rooftop.

"Yuffie!" Sora shouted, smiling and Yuffie waved to you all and jumped down in front of the group.

"I you see you three are in top form." She greeted the trio. Her eyes sparkled as she turned to you.

"Ohhh, I see Sora's got himself a _girl_…" She said, winking at both of you. You and Sora turned red immediately.

"She's not my—"

"I'm not his—" you both started, but then Yuffie, Donald and Goofy started laughing. Sora and you met eyes briefly and looked away.

"…Of course we're in top shape, what did you expect?," Sora said, changing the subject, "Looks like you're doing okay too. How're the others?"

"Well, what did _you_ expect? We're great!" Yuffie said, brightly, turning to you with an outstretched hand, "By, the way, I'm the great ninja Yuffie!"

"My name is Reina," you said with a cheery smile "You must one of the friends these guys were talking about."

"We may never see each other again, but we'll never forget each other…" Sora said in a deep voice touching his forehead.

"Is that supposed to be Leon?" Yuffie chuckled.

Sora grinned while Donald and Goofy laughed. Then, looking as if he remembered something, Sora asked ,"Yuffie, have you seen Riku or the King anywhere?"

"Nope! But I can show you where everybody else is, they're all working on stuff in Merlin's house. Come on!" Yuffie said, before racing off.

"Let's go!" you said, going after her first, while the other three followed not noticing three pairs of eyes watching your every move.

~*~

"_See?_ See what I mean? Right now they just _look_ like a couple but sooner or later…" a hooded said in an urging tone to his friend, whose sour expression was covered by a similar hood. A redhead was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed against his chest. He looked over at his two friends with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"No, no they won't she's not like that." The friend said, shaking his head, trying not to give into his much taller friend.

"Maybe not her, but that _Sora_ will…especially if we don't execute the plan! You agree with me, dontcha, Ax?" the taller friend called to his friend.

"Demyx's right. Sooner or later her Sora will grow on her, and she'll have no memory of you. She won't even remember you existed." Axel said bluntly, not wanting to hurt his friend but wanting to talk some sense into his mind. The shorter friend's hood covered his shocked expression and a weird feeling rose in his chest.

Funny. Nobodies weren't supposed to feel. But whenever it came to Reina, he was sure he always had the closest thing to feeling anything at all. He looked at Reina, who was talking and laughing with Sora.

_Sora…_he couldn't lose her lose to him. Especially him.

"Fine, then. Go ahead." He said finally, which made Demyx cheer in satisfaction and Axel smile half-heartedly, still knowing that this was a _very_ bad idea...

~*~

"Meet the Hallow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie introduced you all to a group of three people who you later found out (after a bright introduction from Yuffie) to be Aerith, Cid and Leon. They were all standing in front of a huge computer. Books were stacked neatly onto one side of the room and drawings and blinking lights covered the walls.

"We missed you!" Aerith smiled softly.

"Well, if you aint in top shape!" Cid said gruffly, smiling with a toothpick in his mouth.

"I knew it." Leon said.

"Knew what?" Sora questioned.

"A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time. It was weird, we felt like all our problems would suddenly be solved…"

"Woah, that's-" Sora stopped, looking like he remembered something, "Wait! Does that mean you _forgot_ about us?!" Donald, Goofy and Sora looked hurt.

"Thanks." Donald grumbled, as Leon looked like he wished he held his tongue.

"So, where've you guys been all this time?" Yuffie said, trying to change the subject.

"We were sleepin'" Goofy answered.

"Where? In cold storage?"Cid remarked, making everybody look sheepish.

"Have you guys seen Riku or the King anywhere?" Sora asked hopefully. All three of them shook their heads.

"Sorry, but let us know if there's anything we can do to help, okay?" Aerith said in a soft voice.

"Okay, thanks." Sora said a little disappointed.

"Don't go thankin' us just yet!" Cid exclaimed.

"Hallow Bastion's got a problem. A **big** problem." Leon said slowly.

"You mean like Nobodies? And Heartless?" You guessed.

"Thats right!" Yuffie clapped.

"Sounds like you guys could use _our _help." Sora smiled.

"Then let's cut to the chase." Leon said, approaching you guys, "We were hoping you four could give us a hand around here."

"Like we're gonna say no" Sora grinned, hitting his chest with his fist.

"Hm" Leon grunted amusedly, "I forgot who I'm dealing with." He walked over to the huge wooden door and opened it with a loud creak.

"Follow me to the bailey; there's something I want to show you." Leon said, walking out. You followed him, in hopes of the dream you had coming true. You didn't feel Sora and the others behind you but you still went ahead, ignoring a rising pain in your head. You didn't notice a blue wizard pop up behind you, and before you knew it, everything in your view went blurry and then white. You heard voices coming out of the light, but you couldn't make out what they were saying; the voices sounded like they came out of a broken radio and…There was something about them that felt familiar.

"Reina!" someone shouted with snapped you back into reality. You looked up into the anxious eyes of your friends, and you realized that you only made it a couple of steps out of the headquarters, and no Leon was in sight.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Sora asked a little scared.

You rubbed out the fading pain in your head and lied, "No, I'm fine. I think I just have a headache." You guessed that you felt weird because you didn't eat all of your breakfast. They all still looked concerned and you sighed.

"Seriously, I'm fine, guys." You assured them with a big smile. They all looked slightly relieved and Donald looked around and said, "Where's Leon?"

"I think he was going that-away." You said, pointing to the direction you were walking before you blanked out.

"Okay, then let's go!" Goofy cheered, which made you smile and feel automatically energized.

"Oh, yeah, I have something to show you…" Sora said, digging for something in his pocket while you two were walking. He pulled out a pink and purple card with a castle on it that read '_Hallow Bastion Honorary Committee Member: Sora_'

"Aw, lucky," you said wistfully, looking at the beautiful card and wishing you had one too.

"Thanks, only the _best_ people get one of these" Sora said in a satisfied tone, making you feel a little hurt.

"_I_ don't need a card telling me I'm the best." You retorted.

"Oh really? Then I guess you won't need _this_." He pulled out an identical pink and purple card and waved it in front of your face. Instead of Sora's name however, it said your name and when you reached out to grab it, Sora pulled it away from you.

"I thought you said you didn't need a card." Sora smirked.

"Yeah, well...I changed my mind." You said, wishing you didn't retort. You reached for it but Sora pulled it back again.

"Try and get it then!" He started running and you chased him, racing past Donald and Goofy to try and catch him.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Goofy called. You chased him throughout the Hallow Bastion, a funny feeling going through your stomach. The both of you finally reached a balcony, where Leon was standing. Sora stopped beside, Leon, looking down at what was below. Curiously you took a glance below too, and took a gasp in horror.

There was an ocean of Heartless and Nobodies, walking through a gorge that was in front of the castle. Donald and Goofy finally caught up and they too looked in horror at the sight below.

"We're trying to make Hallow Bastion the way it used to be…no, and even better world it used to be." Leon corrected himself, "There's still a lot of work to do but I'm sure we can handle everything, except for this.

There was a pause and you dreaded what he was going to ask next. "I hate to ask this, but…I want you to help us get rid of them."

"We'll handle them!" Sora said in a heartbeat. You, Donald and Goofy looked at him as if he suddenly turned bright yellow. Looking at your expressions, he added, "C'mon, guys! We've defeated Ansem, the leader of the Heartless! We can do anything!"

You seriously doubted that.

"Do you guys know anything about these?" Leon gestured toward the shocking amount of Nobodies and Heartless.

"There's this guy, Pete, who's going around plotting with the Heartless. But he's not smart enough to tie his own shoes. The ones you need to worry about are the Nobodies." Sora said, pointing to the hundreds of white-suited creatures.

"And Organization XIII" you shivered, as a chill went up your spine.

"You called?" a dark voice came out of nowhere. A leaping feeling struck your heart and the Heartseeker appeared in your hands.

*_I was hoping I wouldn't be needing you_* you thought looking at the key-like weapon.

"He's got the girl with him…this calls for a celebration…" another dark voice rang out and Nobodies appeared out of nowhere.

"It's a trap!" Goofy exclaimed in shock. Suddenly, you, Donald and Goofy were separated from Leon and Sora.

As soon as you were separated, a sudden flash of pain emerged from your head, which made everything go blurry and the voices appeared again, still sounding static-y but more clearer.

_There was a sound of gentle waves, like we were at the beach in Twilight Town._

"_Hey, Reina, wait up!" said a somewhat familiar voice_

"_Finally! I was starting to think you weren't coming, ----"_

It ended as soon as it started and you felt yourself coming back to reality again. There was Donald and Goofy, although they were busy fighting Nobodies that appeared by your sides.

_*What's going on with me_* you thought, a little frightened, sure that it wasn't just the breakfast anymore. It was much_, much_ more than just that.

You raised a hand to your chest.

It had to do something with your heart. You didn't know how, but you were a hundred percent sure it had to do with your heart. You didn't have time to think about it, as Nobodies appeared by your side. You started slashing them and, surprisingly, you finished most of yours off without the help of Donald or Goofy. It was just like a Struggle match, only with more challenging enemies, though you were used to their tactics already. Your strategy was to hit them with a volley of hits so they won't be able to attack you, which worked.

"The Keyblade…a truly marvelous weapon," the dark voice called again, as the gates opened and you were united with Sora and Leon again.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked you and you nodded. Before you could ask the same question, the voice spoke again.

"Were it only in more…capable hands." The sentence ended with laughter from what sounded like his fellow members. Your group ran outside, where the voice seemed to be coming from.

"Show yourselves!" Sora bellowed. Many people in black outfits appeared, all of their faces covered by hoods.

"Organization XIII!" you gasped.

"Good, now we can settle this!" Sora threatened even though he was in no shape to fight anymore; nobody was.

"What a shame…and here I thought we could be friends..." they laughed darkly before disappearing in a haze of darkness.

"Stop!" Donald shouted and your group started running to where they seemed to be. You were stopped short, however, by the appearance of a member of the Organization XIII.

"What's the big idea?!" Donald exclaimed, startled.

"Move!" You shouted.

"Do you think that's polite, shutting me down like that?" he said, shaking his head, "I don't remember _you_ doing that, Reina."

"Wha-? Who are you?" you asked blankly. The figure chuckled.

"Dontcha remember? I thought you've already _got it memorized_." He said, putting a big emphasis on 'got it memorized'. This was impossible. You've never heard or seen this guy before! You were almost sure of it.

Almost.

"Get outta the way!" Sora yelled.

"As if! You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing." He said.

"Then we're gonna **make** you move!" Donald threatened.

"See, that would work - if I were just any old dude. 'Cept, I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing _any old_ about that."

"Ha!" Sora said, forcing a laugh, "Tough talk for someone who stood on the sidelines while his Nobody flunkeys did all the fighting!"

"Oh dear," the man said, shaking a finger, "I think you got the wrong impression."

"You gonna cry?" Sora growled.

"As if! Why don't I _remind_ you how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is?"

"Remind me?" Sora repeated, looking as blank as you did. But he shook out of it and went back into a fighting stance.

"That's right!" the man laughed, "_he_ used to give me that same exact look."

"Who..?" Sora asked curiously.

"You should ask Reina," the man nodded to you, "she would know."

Sora took a sideways glance at you before saying, "I guess you think you can psych us out by saying really random things, huh?"

"Gee…I just don't know" the man said, in a mocking voice, "Be good you two!" he disappeared in mist of darkness.

"Wait!" you exclaimed, but it was too late. There were so many questions you had to ask him.

"That was weird," Sora voiced your thoughts. "_Who_ gave him the same look?"

"Yeah, and how does he know me?" you said, staring at the spot he disappeared.

"Y'know, I think he was just trying to confuse ya'll" Goofy reassured you and Sora. Sora smiled, but you, on the other hand, were not at all convinced.

"Yeah you're right!" Sora grinned, pulling his member card, while Leon joined your group "The Hallow Bastion Restoration Committee Member—"

Suddenly, your Heartseeker began to vibrate and pointing at the card, which was rising in the air with a tiny beam of light connected to the Heartseeker.

"What the-?" you said, surprised.

The card vanished and was replaced by keyhole, which made Sora's Keyblade shake violently and point at it. A beam of shimmering light connected his Keyblade to the midair keyhole and the keyhole made a locking sound.

"Oh…this must be the connection Yen Sid was talking about." Goofy said.

"Reina's Heartseeker finds keyholes and Sora locks them?" Donald questioned and Goofy nodded.

"How come? I was able to find all the keyholes before." Sora noted.

"Yeah, but that's because we had a princess of heart with us all the time." Goofy said, with a knowing smile, and you felt left out again. Sora looked confused for a moment and then his face cleared with realization.

You heard a loud engine sound above you and you all looked up to see the Gummi Ship, ready to take you all to your next world.

"Sorry to run, Leon. Other worlds are waiting!" Sora called as your group ran over to where the Gummi Ship was landing.

"Organization XIII. Sounds tough. Be careful out there, okay?" Leon warned.

"See you soon!" Sora waved with the rest of your group as you all went into the Gummi Ship to travel to a whole new world.

~*~

"Whaaaat?" Donald, exclaimed, staring at Chip and Dale with disbelief.

"It's true, that's why we came to tell you." Chip squeaked. Sora, Donald and Goofy were at the Front, while you were getting yourself something to eat.

"I wonder how're we gonna tell Reina…she seems like she's got a lot on her mind already…"

"What d'you mean?" Sora asked.

"Well, she seems confused ever since we met the Organization XIII…it looks like she wasn't feeling well." Goofy muttered.

"Ohh, maybe that was just Sora's cooking…" Donald waved off airily, while Sora sent him a glare.

"Hey, my cooking isn't that bad!" Sora insisted, while Donald just rolled his eyes. At that moment, you came in, munching on an apple.

"Hey guys. What's new?"

"Twilight-"Donald began, but Sora clamped his beak shut. You chuckled.

"We'll be reaching Land of the Dragons before twilight. In a couple of minutes, I think." Sora said with a smile.

"That's great! I'll be right back." You said, showing them the core of the apple and went off to throw it away.

As soon as you left, Sora let out a sigh of relief.

"What was that for?!" Donald roared, rubbing his mouth.

"She already has a lot on her mind, remember?" Sora said, "_And_ that was for calling my food bad."

"Hold on tight, guys, we'll be landing soon!" Dale's high voice echoed throughout the Gummi Ship and you all felt a sudden violent shake. Soon, you were all surrounded in a green bamboo thicket.

"Welcome to the Land of the Dragons!" Chip and Dale's voices rang out from the radio.

~*~

You jumped out ecstatically before the others, since you were closest to the exit during landing. You ran ahead, not heeding to the rest of your group's voices. This place was so pretty! The tall, green bamboo thickets and the golden sunlight made everything look like a painting. The weather was pretty mild, except for a slightly chilly breeze that appeared every now and then. But no, that wasn't the reason why you stopped dead in your tracks, with the smile sliding from your face like ice cubes.

The reason was that you soon came face to face with a huge, monstrous, dangerous looking Heartless.

A Heartless that seemed to be looking _straight at you…_


	6. It's Snow Biggie!

You stood rooted to the ground, while the huge Heartless kept on swaying and staring at you. The Heartseeker appeared in your hands, sensing danger and you hoped this wouldn't be your last battle.

"C'mon girl, this is your big chance!" the Heartless spoke in an eager voice.

Heartless…can speak? Wait a sec, it isn't a Heartless! It was actually a big dragon shaped shadow casted across the wall. But what was making it?

You looked around to see who he was talking to, and saw a troubled soldier who was looking through a space between the thickets. The soldier's uniform was dark and blended in with the shadows of the thicket.

"I can see it now," the shadow went on, "Fa Mulan whups public enemy number one! You're gonna be famous!"

"Reina, you were supposed-"Sora panted, as the group finally caught up with you. He stopped mid-sentence as the shadow caught his eye. "Heartless!" he exclaimed and took out the Keyblade. He went in after the shadow along with Donald.

"Sora, wait!" you called to stop them, but he and Donald didn't listen.

"Gawrsh, maybe we oughta look before we leap!" Goofy agreed taking one good look at the shadow which disappeared from view as it realized your group was approaching. A red lizard scurried from the boulder in front of where the shadow previously was, and into the arms of the soldier.

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy wondered aloud, looking at the cowering soldier.

"That's right; I know you've heard of me!" A little lizard popped out from the soldier's protection, "I'm little lethal and legendary! Now ya'll scram before I get my dragon dander up!"

"Hey Mushu! We missed you!" Sora said happily.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!" Mushu recognized gladly.

"You know them?" the soldier asked, voicing your question.

"Know them?!" the lizard slipped out of the soldier's grasp and approached your group, "Man, we used to kick all kinds of butt together!" The lizard turned to you, "And who _you_ might be, pretty little lady?"

"My name's Reina. Nice to meet you Mushu." You giggled. The dragon smiled and went on.

"I used to help these guys in a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon, Right?" he asked the trio, and they nodded enthusiastically in return.

"Who are you?" Goofy asked the soldier, who seemed a little bit more open now that her friend seemed to know your group.

"I'm Mulan…uhm," she said uncertainly, but then spoke in a more deeper, rougher voice, "No, no, I mean.."

"Ping!" Mushu finished for her, raising a finger to the sky.

"Mulan Ping?" Donald repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Just Ping." The soldier said in a determined voice, "I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou."

*_Wait, why is she pretending to be a guy?_* you thought, thoroughly confused.

"You know Mushu?" Sora asked 'Ping'.

"Mushu's one of my family guardians." She (he?) replied in a forced deep voice.

"Gawrsh, we didn't know we were borrowin' someone important as a family guardian!" Goofy said, surprised.

"Yeah, that right!" Mushu climbed on Ping's shoulder, "And that puts you three in the debt of Ping here." He pointed at the trio.

"Mushu…" Ping muttered embarrassedly, grinning awkwardly at you group.

"Aw, they don't mind. Aint that right?" Mushu waved off.

"Hmm, sounds fair." Sora agreed, while the rest of you nodded.

"See, Pin here was just on his was way to the Imperial army," Mushu explained eagerly, "We gotta find recruits at our training camp."

"Would you join us?" Ping asked shyly, "It'll be more easer to fit in, if I'm guys...like you." She mentioned the trio.

"What d'you mean by _fit in_?" Sora asked.

"Well..uhm..don't worry about that." Ping went, feeling her cover was going to be blown.

"You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't ya?" Goofy said, confirming her fears.

"Whaaa?!" Sora and Donald exclaimed, looked from Goofy to Mulan and back again.

"What, you guys didn't notice?" you asked them incredulously.

"Nope!"

"Not me!" Sora and Donald said together, still in shock.

"I think it's working," Ping smiled.

"I don't know, those two would fall for anything." Mushu said, jerking his head toward the direction of Donald and Goofy. You and Goofy chuckled at Sora's and Donald's expressions.

"Hey!" Donald shouted, shaking a fist angrily.

"We're still here!" Sora added grumpily.

"So, why're you pretending to be a guy, Ping?" you asked her. Ping sighed sadly.

"I'm taking over my father's place in the Imperial Army that was recruited to go against Shan-Yu and the Huns. They think it's a disgrace if they a girl in the army, and I couldn't let my father go; he's too weak. That's why I'm here." Ping explained which filled you up with anger.

"What?! They think it's a disgrace if a _girl _joins the _army_? That's crazy!" you fumed.

"I know, I know," Ping agreed glumly.

"Wait...so that means Reina can't come with us?" Sora noted immediately.

"No, I'm afraid not." Ping shook her head apologetically.

"But we can't just leave her!" Sora insisted and Ping looked more and more sorry.

"It's okay, I can handle myself," you said raising the Heartseeker, "Besides, I'll just get myself kicked out if I try to go, so what's the point?"

"We can't just leave you!" Donald said adamantly.

"Yeah, we're a team, remember? All for one and one for all." Goofy reminded.

Sora thought for a moment, "D'you have another one of those?" he said, pointing at Ping's armor. Ping shook her head slowly.

"Don't worry you guys, I'll be fine." You assured them, not telling them about the brilliant but crazy plan that just formed in your head.

"We're not even supposed to leave you alone, remember what Yen Sid said? The Heartless and Nobodies want to take your heart, remember?" Sora went on still not giving up.

"I can take on any Heartless!" you said, brandishing the Heartseeker. Still looking at Sora's anxious expression you added, "At least that way, I can sharpen my _skills_." You smiled, reminding Sora what he said about your fighting in Hallow Bastion. A slight smile curved Sora's lips and, before he could say anything, Ping announced, "We should be leaving soon."

"You guys should go. Call me if you need any help with _your_ fighting" you joked, which made everyone laugh.

"C'mon." Ping walked ahead of the trio, who were waving goodbye to you. Sora kept looking back every two seconds and, until they were gone from view, you let out a huge sigh of relief.

*_Alright, time to go on my own quest._* you thought, looking over at the blazing fire Mushu used to look like a Heartless.

~*~

**Sora's POV**

"I hope she'll be okay…" Sora wondered aloud, which made Donald roll his eyes at him.

"You've said that about a million times already!"

"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Ping questioned which made Sora flush. Goofy and Donald shared a glance with each other and chuckled.

"Erm, no, of course not…" Sora muttered and, for once, he was thankful to exclaim, "Look, Heartless!"

"Hope you're ready, Ping!" Sora said, charging to attack the shadows. They were really easy, especially compared to the recent Heartless and Nobodies they've fought—just a couple of hits and the Heartless vanished like they never existed. The only problem was Ping, who lacked fighting experience, because she kept tripping over things and cowering whenever a Heartless approached her. In a few minutes, the place was cleared and most of the soldiers came out again, cheering. A tall, well-built man advanced toward the group, looking stern.

"You three, who are you?" He addressed Sora, Donald and Goofy.

"I'm Sora, this is Donald and that's Goofy." Sora introduced.

"You're welcome to my troop. Your battle skills are encouraging." Captain Shang said in a monotone.

"Captain, I—"Ping started, trying to get some of the limelight, but the captain cut her off coldly by saying, "You should return home."

"But that would dishonor my family!" Ping said, surprised that the captain would even suggest that.

"You would rather dishonor my troops?" Captain countered frostily.

"Cmon, Captain! If Ping trains hard and does his best, he'll get better in no time." Sora protested, a little ticked off at the Captain's manner. Shang looked at Sora and the group thoughtfully, and then spoke. "So you all want to be tested?"

"Yes sir!"

"I've received information that some of my troops have encountered some…unusual enemies while they were clearing the trail."

Sora and the other exchanged glances. They were sure 'unusual enemies' meant Heartless or Nobodies.

"I want you four to clear them out as we make our progress up the mountain to Shan-Yu and the Hun's army. Understand?"

"That's it? No problem!" Sora said easily, crossing his hands behind his head. Then, looking at Ping's nervous expression he asked, "Right?"

"Sh-sure, right…" Ping said, staring at the ground.

"Remember, the smallest mission may have the greatest purpose. Stay alert!" Captain Shang instructed.

"Sir!" the group rang out determinedly. Captain went back inside the tent, his red cape flowing behind him

"Let's go, guys." Donald said, walking ahead of the group. *_Shouldn't we be checking on Reina…?_* Sora thought, staring down the long, dirt road from where they came from.

"C'mon, Sora!" Ping called out, and he remembered her comment on him and Reina earlier.

*_Geez, maybe I __**do **__worry about her too much_* Sora said, shaking his head and catching up with the rest of his friends on the way to the mission, not noticing that a brown hawk was keeping a watchful eye over them.

~*~

**Reina's POV**

"It so cold up here…." You muttered, hugging yourself whole walking the tough mountain terrain and your shorts and light shirt didn't help either. Your quest was what you came with the trio for: to find Roxas. The dream you had renewed your hopes of finding him sooner, even though the hope wasn't based on anything concrete.

You knew you would probably get in serious trouble for leaving without anybody, but you couldn't resist it. You wondered how they were at the moment. You hoped dearly that they won't go back to the clearing to look for you; you were sure they would freak out, especially Sora. You chuckled to yourself and directed your attention back to your quest.

You were sure you were pretty high up; there was fresh snow on the ground and you reached a small, village-like area. It was peaceful; there were little puffs of smoke rising from the houses' chimneys and sounds of laughter coming from inside the houses.

*_Lucky…_* you thought, staring wistfully at the houses and shivering once more. _They_ probably didn't have to deal with Heartless or Nobodies while trying to find someone close to them….

On 'Heartless' you realized with a jolt that you haven't seen any Heartless or Nobodies on during your trek, which was super weird, considering what Yen Sid said about your heart.

*_Maybe the Heartless and Nobodies don't like cold_* you thought, staring down at the snowy ground.

Then, as if wanting to prove your thoughts wrong, a Nobody appeared several feet away from you. You pulled out the Heartseeker, daring it to come close, but surprisingly it didn't.

The white-suited creature just swayed there and you approached it cautiously, with your Heartseeker raised. As you came closer to it, the Nobody seized up with a violent shake and floated further into the mountain trail. Curious, you decided to follow it, not realizing that the Nobody was showing you the way to the goal of your quest…

~*~

**Sora's POV**

"This looks like a great place to rest." Ping said tiredly when the four reached a small, village area. The four faced many Heartless and Nobodies and they were pretty exhausted after the encounters. Soon, the Imperial Army arrived, and they too decided this place would be nice to set up camp.

"You did well." Captain Shang muttered, as the group approached him.

"I knew it!" Sora said cockily, and Donald and Goofy nodded.

"You improved….but I'm still not sure you have what it takes become a worthy soldier." Captain said to Ping, a little more relaxed since the last encounter.

"Why not?!" Sora demanded. Ping really did improve; he…well, let's say _she_ was able to take down most of the Heartless on her own, with training from the trio.

"It's alright Sora." Ping assured him with a smile, "I'll find a way to show him what I'm made of. Just give me a chance."

What Ping said caught the Captain off guard, but then he broke into a proud smile. "That's the spirit, Ping."

"Sir!" Ping saluted him, along with the rest of the group, and he walked away to make further plans.

"What _does_ it take to make that idiot happy?" Mushu muttered, looking at Captain Shang's retreating back.

"It's okay, Mushu." Ping waved off, "I'll get better, and I'll prove myself to him." She stared at Shang with a certain look in her eyes. The group set up a fire with the help of Donald's magic and sat down to rest.

"Okay, girl! Here's your chance. I just saw this real shady guy and I _know_ its Shan-Yu." Mushu announced, after the group was all well-rested.

"_The_ Shan-Yu?! Are you serious?" Ping exclaimed, and the group stared at Mushu like he turned everything on fire.

"We gotta go tell the captain!" Sora exclaimed, looking at the spoken person, who was talking to troops nearby.

"Right!" Ping already turned around to report to him, but Mushu grabbed her heels and huffed, "Wait wait **wait**! All of you use your heads for a sec. Now why are we here?"

"To defeat the Huns and Shan-Yu!" Sora answered.

"That, **and** to make the Captain see Mulan's—I mean _Ping's_ talent and bring honor to her family." The little dragon explained and everyone nodded, "So, let's go find out where Shan-Yu is by ourselves. Then, if we're lucky, we can fry him up good! Though, tracking the guy down should earn us our starts... Captain Musclehead will _have_ to notice my girl!"

"Well, I guess it's your decision, Ping." Goofy said, turning to her.

"Well…"she thought about it for a moment. "Let's go" she said finally.

"Alright! One Scary Shan-Yu ready to be fried! C'mon, I'll show where I saw " Mushu cheered, and he scurried so fast that he appeared to be a red blur and everyone else had to run to catch up to him.

"Ta-da! Here's where I saw him." Mushu stopped in front of a cave near the village. The group entered the small cave, only to meet nothing but candles.

"Dead end…" Sora muttered, looking around at the candles.

"There's nobody here." Donald informed with a sigh. He began to head out of the cave.

"Wait for me, Donald!" Goofy called, going after him.

"Hey, wait—"before Sora could say 'for us' a huge rumble shook the cave and a barrier separated Sora and Ping from Donald and Goofy.

"Sora! Ping!" Sora heard Donald and Goofy exclaim, as they failed to get through the barrier.

"What? What's goin on?" Mushu asked frantically, and the answer arrived when a group of Heartless appeared.

"A trap…." Sora muttered, as he began slashing the Heartless with the Keyblade.

Shan-Yu laughed softly to himself as he walked out the cave entrance to take down the Imperial Army.

~*~

**Reina's POV**

You followed the speedy Nobody until you reached the summit, a slope-like area that was very, very high up.

"When the heck will that thing stop?!" you muttered to yourself as it finally came to a rest in the middle of the slope, which you decided not to climb, because it seemed so tiring. The Nobody shivered, (*_Ha, they __**do **__get cold!_*) and disappeared. You looked around to see why the Nobody brought you here, though you couldn't see anything but the empty mountain slope.

Then, something wet and solid hit the back of your head and your heart leapt as you heard a familiar voice call, "Over here!" you turned around so fast you were sure you almost heard you neck crack, but that didn't matter. What mattered was who was standing in the middle of the slope, wearing a goofy grin.

"**Roxas!**" you shouted happily as you ran up to him and into his arms. The two of you kissed; a kiss that warm, intimate and familiar and it instantly warmed you up. You felt like everything was fine again: you would go back to Twilight Town with him, and everything would go back to normal.

"Where've you been?! I thought you disappeared on me!" you told him with a smile when you broke from your embrace.

"I…I missed you." He said, not answering your question, but you didn't mind; you had a lot more time to ask him questions. Or so you thought.

"C'mon I can't wait until you meet, Goofy, Donald and Sora-"you started happily, but Roxas cut you off with, "I can't come back with you Reina." There was something different about him, when he said that—he eyes weren't the clear, sparkling blue you were used to as a cold darkness flashed across his eyes.

"But..but why?" you asked, your spirits falling as quick as they went up.

Roxas' eyes went back to the calm blue, only this time he was sad.

"I…have things to do. I...um… I have to find out what happened to Twilight Town's memories." He said with an unusually bright smile, but you were still sullen.

"I thought we could've gone to other worlds together. Or maybe even back to Twilight Town…" a question made you look back up at him, "Hey, how come everyone forgot you at Twilight Town anyways? How come I'm the only one who remembers?"

With that he broke into a sweet smile and said, "Because our hearts are intertwined, how could ya forget that?"

"I could never forget," you said, bringing out the paopu fruit locket Roxas gave you, "We made a promise, remember?"

"What's important isn't how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other." Roxas doing an uncanny imitation of Hayner, making the both of you laugh.

"Never forget me Reina." Roxas said, brushing back a piece of lost hair back behind your ear, "You're the only thing I have left…everything else belongs to--"

"Huh?" you blinked at him, never seeing him act like this before. His eyes were filled with an anger that you haven't seen before.

"Nothing, never mind." He said, his eyes reverting back to their usual sweetness.

"Is something wrong? You seem…different." You noted, judging his behavior.

"No, not at all…" Roxas said, lost in his own thoughts. You frowned at him; he wasn't usually closed up around you, or even this sad. Not able to see him in that state, you decided to distract him. You scooped a handful of snow and threw it at him, which made him blink and wipe snow from his face.

"_That_ was for earlier!" you said with a playful laugh. You were successful; his face instantly lit up and he scooped up a bunch of snow.

"Oh yeah? Take _this_!" he said, throwing the snowball at you as you tried to dodge it. You laughed and made your own and threw it at him, and the both of you made a barren mountain slope into a winter wonderland.

~*~

**Sora's POV**

"That was great, Ping! Nice fighting!" Sora said with a satisfied smile as the last of the Heartless disappeared into nothingness.

"Really? Thanks!" Ping said with a radiant smile. She took down many Heartless on her own, without stumbling once.

"Are you guys okay?" Goofy asked Sora and Ping and soon as the barrier was dropped.

"Yup, thanks to Ping!" Sora said with a bright smile. Mushu climbed out of Ping's armor as soon as coast was clear and exclaimed, "C'mon, time to report to Captain!"

"But Shan-Yu wasn't here." Donald reasoned.

"And we weren't supposed to sneak off without the Captain's permission, either." Ping added guiltily.

"Please, that Hun is _old_ news!" Mushu waved off, "We're gonna tell him how thousands of Heartless stormed in the cave, and Ping took out almost every one of 'em! He'll **have** to notice my girl, then!"

"I guess…" Ping said, uneasiness written over her face as the group walked out of the cave and to the village.

"Oh no" Ping gasped in horror as they took in the village. 'Oh no' was an understatement: The village was burned to the ground; villagers and soldiers were either hurt or dead, their vacant faces staring up at the sky. There were pools of blood everywhere, spoiling the once perfect snow.

Sora felt sick—he'd never seen or heard about something so horrifying and the stench of the dead bodies was horrid.

But through all the rubble, there was a groan of pain.

"Captain!" Ping recognized, and she rushed to the source of the voice. When she reached him, he was covered in blood that seemed to be gushing from his side.

"Don't overdo it, Captain!" Sora told the Captain, as he attempted, and failed, to stand.

"It's just a scratch." He said, shaking his head, and declining Ping's outstretched hand.

"Captain, the enemy! Where did they go?" Ping said a little more pale than usual.

"Th-they went towards the summit…" he managed, jerking his chin toward the trail the leads to the summit.

"We'll stop them!" Ping said in a strong voice, making it clear that she wanted to defend her world from the Huns and Shan-Yu.

"It _is_ kinda our fault" Goofy said, scratching his head with a frown.

"Right." Ping nodded, and she turned to her family guardian, who jumped out again, looking glum.

"You mean it's _my_ fault." He said, with his head down in shame.

"Nuh-uh." Donald shook his head.

"Shan-Yu and the Heartless did this." Sora agreed, and with a sudden jolt, he cried, "Reina!"

The group turned to him, "What about her?" Ping asked.

"The Heartless are supposed to be after her, remember? What if..." he couldn't bring himself to say it; it was their fault they left her alone and the guilt ate him up like piranha.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright." Goofy assured him bravely.

"Yeah, she's strong." Donald added, but Sora still wore a frown. He had a weird feeling in his stomach which didn't help at all.

"We still shouldn't have left her. She's probably alone right now..." Sora looked up with sudden alert. "What if Shan-Yu has her?!"

"Then I feel sorry for Shan-Yu" Donald muttered, trying to lighten the tense mood, but he too looked really worried. Sora sped in front of the three further into the mountain trail without another word.

"Captain, if you track down the remaining villagers, we'll handle this." Ping told him and he nodded with a grimace of pain.

"Let's go." Ping said with a determined expression and the remaining three hurried up to catch up to Sora.

~*~

"Ok, ok, you won!" Roxas surrendered with breathless laughter as he held up his arms to shield himself from your onslaught of snowballs.

"I won!" you repeated, holding your arms up in victory. You took a seat next to him, both of you feeling a little soaked but happy nonetheless. Your numb hands were intertwined and content with happy memories and laughter. All of a sudden, Roxas looked up sharply, like someone was calling his name and he looked back at you.

"I have to go now," he stood up made a dark portal with his palm outstretched.

"But, why don't you come with us? It'll be much better, wouldn't it?"

"I'm _always_ with you," the both of you kissed again, sweet and short, "In your heart."

"I love you!" you said, as he was backing into the gate of darkness. You caught his bashful smile as he disappeared into darkness, leaving you alone with your newfound happiness. That newfound happiness, however, clouded your mind from many obvious and harsh realities that you forgot to notice. On the other hand, the happiness dot you feeling like you could take on a million Heartless and still feel energized enough to take on more. The encounter with Roxas made you change your thoughts about Nobodies, even though you knew deep inside your heart that anything born from darkness is bad news.

"Reina!" you looked up with the hope that Roxas appeared again, only that your hopes were replaced with shock when you saw that it was Sora.

"Oh crap..." you muttered, cranking up your internal excuse machine for some good stories as to why you're here.

But, instead of getting surprised or mad, Sora ran up to you with worry in his clear blue eyes and asked, "Are you okay?!"

"Uh…yeah?" You said shocked at the fact he didn't get mad, and a little touched that he was worried about you.

He let out a huge, relieved sigh before saying, "I thought you—"he stopped as he realized something, "Hey! Why are you even here?! I thought you were supposed to be at the clearing!"

"Yeah...about that…" you said with an uncomfortable smile, "yeah…Oh, look, the others are here!" you pointed to the spoken people, who arrived at that moment with surprised expressions on their faces.

"Reina!" Donald exclaimed

"How'd ya get here?" Goofy asked, flabbergasted. Sora crossed his arms and turned to you.

"Well?" he asked and luckily, some kind of excuse popped in your mind.

"Well, I didn't want you guys to have all the fun so I thought I would go take on Heartless on m own." You said with a hopeful grin but they didn't buy it.

"You could've got yourself killed." Ping muttered softly. That statement hit you like running headfirst into a brick wall; only that it your heart instead.

"The Huns and Shan-Yu rampaged a village not far from here. Many people—" Ping started, but she broke off, incensed at the thought of innocent people dying at the hands of Shan-Yu and the Huns.

"We thought something happened to you." Donald said with concerned eyes while Goofy nodded.

You looked into your friend's eyes and realized why they were so worried. You met Sora's eyes, you looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry." You apologized, never wanting to get your friends so distressed.

"It's okay." Sora said with a smile in his voice and you looked up. His eyes were soft and forgiving as he spoke.

"Just promise next time you won't leave without us, kay?" Sora grinned, stretching his pinky out to you.

"Only if you don't ditch me again." You said, returning the grin.

"Deal."

You joined your pinky with his; hoping that you would never, ever have to break his promise. Sadly, there was someone out there who would do anything to break that promise…and that person was very close to you. There was a loud shrill noise and you looked up at the sky to see what the sound was.

A brown hawk soared over head and landed straight in the shoulder of none other than….

"Shan-Yu!"

* * *

**_!Autho's Note!_**

First of all, I would like to thank XRarityofTearsX for being a great beta-reader and Akizakura202 for giving me awesome advice.

Ok, so about this chapter. I'm really sorry if its kinda confusing to you guys, with two POVs and all, but I hope it all works out. And the time-frame is kinda awkward too. ('Cause only in the Land Of Dragon can you climb a mountain in half of a day xD)

What I like about this chapter is the Roxas part, I think its kinda sweet ^^. Also the fact its kinda different from all my other chapters. Anyways I hope the end result turns out great!

What did you guys think about this chapter? Was it confusing? Not much romance between Roxas and Reina? I would love to know, constructive critisizm is always appreciated!

~narcotic lullaby


	7. Sidekick

"Shan-Yu!" Ping shouted, unsheathing her sword and getting into a fighting stance.

The rest of you brought out your weapons too, but you were scared out of your mind when you saw what was backing up Shan-Yu: a whole army consisting of vicious Huns and small but lethal looking Heartless. There hundreds of them and just five of your group which made it hard to see that you guys were going to get through this without a scratch.

"Don't worry, we can take them down." Sora said, sensing your uneasiness. You nodded and steeled yourself up as the small, bird-like Heartless appeared around your group. You began slashing them, which was difficult as they were high up in the air. You jumped to get a swing at them, and they went down in a couple of hits; luckily they weren't that strong.

"Attack!" you heard a deep, voice yell and you looked up to see Shan-Yu running toward your group—with the rest of the Heartless and Huns following his lead.

*_We can't take them all!_* you thought frantically, taking down the Heartless in front of you.

"Stand back!" a voice called, and turned to see a short, stout man carrying a huge firework.

"Don't worry Ping!" a huge, guy in blue armor shouted.

"We'll handle this!" a tall, skinny man in yellow said with a smile. The short man struck down the dragon-shaped explosive and aimed it straight at Shan-Yu, who was still advancing toward your group.

Then, Ping took in a breath of air like she figured something out and pushed the guy who was adjusting the explosive away.

"Sorry Yao!" Ping yelled as she aimed the firework at a huge cliff, instead of Shan-Yu.

"What's she doing, Ling?" the huge guy asked the skinny man.

"I dunno, Chein-Po, let's just find out." Ling replied, trusting Ping fully. You too hoped very much that Ping knew what she was doing.

"Flint, I need some…" Ping looked around and grabbed Mushu, "Aha!" She pulled Mushu by the tail and as he yelled in pain, he let out a tiny burst of fire that ignited the dragon-shaped rocket. When Mulan let go of him, Mushu landed right on top of the firework and, before he could get off, it soared over to its target.

"You're going the wrong way…!" Mushu's voice became distant as the rocket went closer and closer to the target until it actually hit it. A huge part of the ice and-snow mountain crumbled and crushed Shan-Yu's army. You hoped Mushu would be alright.

"Yes!" Ping cheered when she saw it crumble but it looked like she didn't realize the snow kept on coming like an even bigger and stronger army.

"Avalanche!" you gasped.

"Captain?" Sora questioned when, at that same moment, he saw Shang and some other troops advancing toward your party.

Ping gasped as she looked back and forth between Shang and the oncoming snow.

"Look out!" she screamed as the avalanche grew worse. She ran to push Shang out of the way and the rest of your group followed her, missing the avalanche by inches. When the roar of the avalanche finally subsided, you were thankful that you were safe and still alive.

"Thanks, Ping." Shang panted, looking at Ping with gratefulness.

"I-it was nothing." Ping said, trying very hard to look 'manly' while restraining herself to shout in happiness.

"I should never have doubted you," Shang went on, "from now on, you have my trust."

"Thank you, Captain." She said, holding back the joy from her voice and expression. You felt yourself smiling at the scene because it looked like Ping wanted to hear those words for a very long time. Finally, after all those grueling trials, she was accepted.

Unfortunately, Mushu chose that exact moment to pop up and open his big mouth.

"First she uses me as a lighter, then as a cannon ball! The head ancestor's gonna hear about this!" Mushu fumed, "Y'know, that's **it**! I give up! I can't take this no more! C'mon, Mulan. Let's quit the charade and go home, girl."

"Mushu…!" Ping hissed as she jerked her head slightly to Shang. Mushu gasped and covered his mouth with his tiny hands and looked from Ping to Shang.

"Mulan…a woman? It **can't** be!" Shang gazed at the guilty Ping in disgust and betrayal.

"Ping! Captain!" Sora called, as he approached the two to try and ease the situation, but he stopped as he received a steely gaze from Shang.

"You all knew didn't you? You all knew _Ping_ was really a **woman**!" Shang accused, his tone reverting back the coldness when Sora first met him. He turned to Ping and shouted, "I can't believe you **lied** to me!"

Ping held her head down in shame and didn't reply and you felt pity on her. This had to happen right after she gained the Captain's trust, too. After a long pause he added, "The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the Imperial Army…is **death**…"

"She saved your **life**!" you cried incredulously. You couldn't believe the words that came out of the Captain's mouth, right after Ping saved his life!

"A life for a life…" Shang mumbled and then said in a more audible, commanding voice, "Get out of my sight…**now**! You're all dismissed."

"But…Captain…" Sora trailed off.

"My debt is repaid," he spat, and then he turned to his remaining troops who were watching with mixed with reactions. Some, such as Yao, Ling and Chein-Po looked sad and reluctant to leave, and some were looking at Mulan disbelief and even awe. "The Emperor is waiting…move out!" Shang commanded his troops who obeyed him immediately, not wanting to get caught in the Captain's tirade of anger.

As they left, Mulan hung her head in shame, tears welling in her eyes. "I…I'm going to get outta this now." Mulan mumbled, mentioning her heavy armor, "I guess I won't be needing it anymore…" Mulan went off to find a place to change.

"Ow..." Mushu groaned in pain, rubbing his head.

"Are you okay, Mushu?" Goofy asked the little dragon.

"I've been feeling kinda weird since Mulan turned my into a cannon ball…speaking of which, it's all my fault she lost her honor." Mushu said sullenly, and you noticed that he didn't look like his usual state; he was slouching and his tail was limp.

"Can you help him, Donald?" Sora asked the short magician, who nodded.

"Cure!" Donald shouted at Mushu, waving his wand around. Automatically, green charms rang over Mushu's head and he instantly looked more alert and active.

"Thanks, Donald!" Mushu smiled, and you wished you could do magic too.

"Hey, Donald," you caught his attention, "Can you show me how to do that?" You thought it would be really handy if you were able to heal people if Donald wasn't around or if he wasn't able to.

"Yeah, I think you'll be able to, since you have the Heartseeker," Donald said, "Just try to do the same thing I did, I'm sure you can do it. Just concentrate."

Taking his advice, you shut your eyes, raised your Heartseeker to Mushu who wasn't really paying attention and chanted, "Cure!" Nothing happened.

"You have to practice, than I'm sure you'll get the hang of it," Donald smiled encouragingly, "Oh and be sure that you don't over use magic, or else your spells won't be able to function if you over do it."

"Thanks, Donald!" you smiled back at him and you started practicing on Mushu. No matter how much you tried, you couldn't achieve the same effect Donald's spell had.

After a while, Mulan came out changed into more comfortable-looking clothes with her hair down. The hair around her face emphasized her pretty features as she gave a forced smile to your group.

"Mulan, I blew it, I shouldn't have—" Mushu started rambling but Mulan smiled and put her hand up to stop him.

"Thank you everyone. Sorry I got you in trouble." Mulan said with a forced smile.

"It's no big deal," Sora waved off, "So Ping…I mean, Mulan…What are you gonna do now?"

"Go back home." Mulan answered simply, her smile fading into her real expression.

"You know your daddy's gonna be steamed as a chicken dumpling." Mushu muttered as Mulan sighed.

"Relax," Sora said, grabbing the group and pulling you guys together, "we'll take out share of the blame."

"Thanks," Mulan smiled genuinely now, "You're all wonderful friends."

"I know." Sora grinned cockily and you rolled your eyes at him. The group moved down to the ridge of the mountain, not noticing a brown hawk soaring in the sky. Then, several feet below the ridge, a huge roar echoed throughout the mountain.

"Shan-Yu!" you exclaimed, full of shock. You thought he was dead, that the avalanche finished him and his army off. But no, here he was, with the brown hawk perched on his shoulder and an army of Heartless behind him, still strong in number.

"He's alive!" Sora gulped and his eyes were full of shock. Your group watched Shan-Yu's every move as he moved down further into the direction of the city.

"He's heading for the Imperial City!" Mulan shouted urgently, "We've got to warn Shang!"

"Let's go then, we've got no time to waste!" you said in a determined voice, and the rest of your group nodded and hurried down the mountain to the Imperial City.

~*~

When you reached the Imperial City, there was a parade going on; no doubt to honor the undeserving soldiers whom everyone thought killed Shan-Yu and the Heartless. The happy faces and colorful floats and lanterns would have interested you if your group _wasn't_ racing to tell the Imperial Army that Shan-Yu wasn't dead and that he was coming toward the city with a bunch of Heartless by his side.

It wasn't hard to find the Army; they were on horses riding through the crowd into the Palace courtyard. Everyone was so happy at the defeat of their worst enemy that they didn't notice your group sneaking through. Some of soldiers had pained expressions on their faces, like they didn't enjoy the grand welcome they didn't deserve.

"Shang!" Mulan called, and Shang spun around immediately, his expression changing to disgust as he saw who called him. That didn't discourage Mulan though; she went straight up to him and shouted, "Shan-Yu is alive! He's heading this way!"

"And why should I believe you this time?" He grumbled.

"But…she's telling you the truth!" Sora insisted, and your group nodded at him. When Shang kept that same doubtful face, you rolled your eyes—and caught sight of the same brown hawk that was Shan-Yu's.

"Hey, look!" you shouted, pointing to the sky where the hawk was circling.

Shang spotted the bird and looked around, sensing danger. He took in a sharp breath of air as he saw Shan-Yu on the rooftop of a Palace building.

"Guard the Palace!" Shang commanded his troops, "Don't let the enemy get anywhere near the Emperor!"

Then, as some troops went ahead, some soldiers were overcome with darkness and they weren't soldiers anymore when the haze cleared. They were Heartless. The Heartseeker appeared in your hand and you got ready to fight.

"Captain!" Sora shouted, moving in front of Shang in a defensive stance, "We'll secure the Courtyard and you can save the Emperor!"

Looking at Shang's hesitation Donald yelled, "That's an order!"

Shang nodded and sped off to leave you five alone with the Heartless. These Heartless weren't the small, little black ones you were used too. They were much bigger, harder and they used magic, which made it hard for you to attack them without getting hit by a flare of fire or a gust of ice.

When the Heartless were scratched to a minimum, you took the opportunity to build up your magic skills. You tried and tried, but you just couldn't get the hang of it. You knew you could do it; you just needed an extra push to master the spell. Looking at the bigger and stronger Heartless, you wished that push would come soon.

When the battle was over, Mulan hurried off to the Palace an you guys followed her, hoping that everything was okay. It wasn't: Shan-Yu raised a crooked sword to the Emperor's neck and hissed, "Now you'll bow to _me_…"

"Not so fast, Big and Scary! You'll have to get through us first!" you shouted, raising the Heartseeker at him.

Shan-Yu turned to your team and opened his mouth with an amused expression, which quickly turned to surprise as Shang came out of nowhere and punched him in the head and the stomach. In a flash, he brought the Emperor inside and the thick Palace doors shut, looking back at your group with sadness and a hint of regret in his eyes.

When Shan-Yu recovered from the hit, he sped towards the door; only to face your group. "It ends _now_!" Mulan growled, pointing her sword to the angry enemy.

"Right now!" Sora added, and you all charged toward Shan-Yu, ready to bring him down. The fight was tough, especially since there many things going at once; there were Heartless attacking your group from each side and Shan-Yu was a really tough enemy. You, Donald and Goofy decided to stay back and take down the Heartless while Sora and Mulan took care of Shan-Yu.

Mid-battle, there you heard a shriek; Shan-Yu struck Sora on the arm and blood was gushing from his left arm. You looked at Donald who was too busy battling a Heartless to know what was going on. With your heart pounding and blood rushing through your ears, you raised the Heartseeker.

Mustering all your strength and hope, you pointed the key-shaped weapon at Sora.

Shan-Yu raised his blade for another strike, hoping to do some more major damage to Sora.

"**Cure!**" you hoped with every inch of your heart that the spell would work.

And it did. Green charms tinkled over Sora's head and he was able to react to Shan-Yu's strike; He dodged the attack and Mulan took care ofShan-Yu from there. Your relieved glance met Sora's thankful, surprised one. You managed a small smile at him before averting your attention back at the Heartless, feeling thoroughly powerful after being able to cast a magic spell.

You were getting really good at dodging spells and finishing off the Heartless in time when there was a second shout of pain. You spun around to see Shan-Yu falling back, clutching a deep cut Mulan caused. As soon as his body fell, a haze of darkness enveloped it and then the corpse disappeared with the darkness, along with the Heartless.

"We did it!" you cheered happily, punching the air.

"Now that's what I call burning some honey-bun! Aw, yeah, Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best!" Mushu joined along in your cheering, but he seemed to realize something and he instead said, "Wait a minute—**I'm** the best! Mushu's the best! Mushu's the best!"

You all chuckled at the small dragon as he jumped around but the happy feeling soon evaporated as the Palace doors swung open again. None other than the Emperor and Shang came out of the palace; the senior with an unreadable expression and the junior with a sad one. Behind you, people from the parade filled up the Courtyard, silent to hear what their emperor would say. The Emperor approached your group with regal strides and you held your breath for what he was about to say.

"I've heard a great deal about you Fa Mulan." the Emperor said with a somewhat angry tone.

"Your Excellency!" Mulan turned pink and bowed immediately.

"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated the Imperial Army," the Emperor listed, causing Mulan to turn bright red, "deceived your commanding officer, helped disguise a young woman as one of my nobles, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name."

Sora shook his head in hopelessness and disagreement. "We get the picture..." he said, rolling his eyes to the sky.

"But in the end…" the Emperor said, and it felt like everyone in the whole world stopped, waiting for his final verdict.

"_You've saved us all…"_

Mulan looked up from her bow and was shocked and surprised to see that the Emperor was bowing down to her. Roars erupted from the Courtyard behind your group and you saw that all the people were cheering, yelling and bowing to China's bravest woman.

"Hooray, we did it!" Donald cried in happiness, jumping ecstatically. Your group laughed and cheered along with them, happy that all your hard work paid off.

"Your Excellency!" Mulan repeated, this time with a radiating smile on her face.

"Captain Li." the Emperor said and Shang bowed to him and presented Shan-Yu's sword to Mulan. A certain _look_ passed between them and there were roses on their cheeks before the Emperor spoke again.

"Take this, so the world will know what it is you have done for China."

"Thank You, Your Excellency." Mulan bowed again.

"Mulan." Shang addressed and Mulan jumped a little.

"Yes?" she answered a little shyly and they stared at eachother for a while before Shang moved on.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, and…?" he trailed off, not know what to call you.

"Reina" Sora whispered to Shang and he nodded.

"…and Reina. Thank you." Shang finished with a bow.

"Thank you?" the Emperor turned to Shang with eyebrows raised in amusement, "Is that all you can say, Captain?" Shang looked confused but the Emperor went on.

"If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more _eloquent_ than _**that**_**.**" The Emperor finished, and both Mulan and Shang turned pink and averted eyes from each other, which made you chuckle. They were so sweet together!

"Can I get your autograph?" Sora joked, resting his right hand on Mulan's shoulder.

"Thanks for everything, you guys." Mulan said with a huge smile.

"Now they gotta let me go back to bein' a Guardian, they _gotta_!" Mushu said to himself a little more audibly then he wanted to.

"Wait…" Goofy remembered something, "Mushu, I thought you already _were_ a family guardian!"

"What? Oh no, no…don't even worry about that; that's just real technical. Just for us Guardians." He said with a hopeful smile which didn't work at all.

Both you and Sora glanced at each other and shouted, "You _tricked_ us!"

"See, I just uh…just didn't wanna bog ya'll down with all the Guardian stuff, it's all very complex…" Mushu trailed off as he was getting chased by an angry Sora. Everyone laughed, but you gasped as the Heartseeker appeared in your hand again, raised at Shan-Yu's ascending shimmering blade.

"Sora!" you called as a tiny beam of light connected the Heartseeker to the blade which now turned into a keyhole, just like in Hallow Bastion.

Sora turned to you and summoned the Keyblade. A beam of shimmering light connected the Keyblade and the Keyhole and Sora locked it with a burst of blinding light and a locking sound.

"Guess it's about time to be movin' on."Goofy mentioned, turning to the rest of your group.

"You shall be missed." The Emperor said with a nod.

"Is it okay if we come back to visit?" you asked, hoping you would come back so you could get to know Mulan and the rest better.

"Of course!" Mulan exclaimed, "Come back anytime!"

"We will forward to your return." Shang said, standing next to Mulan.

*_Aww they're so cute together!_* you thought looking at the couple.

Then, as if reading your thoughts, Sora said, "You two play nice!"

"W-whoa, watch it soldier!" Shang stuttered as him and Mulan exchanged shy glances. You chuckled at the two and you thought of Roxas.

*_Always...in my heart…_* you thought, remembering Roxas's words.

"Hey, Reina, let's go." Sora said, clutching his left arm. Donald and Goofy looked at the wound gravely, as if they were thinking what would happen if you didn't use the Cure spell.

"'Kay. See ya, Mulan!" you waved, following your group through the crowd.

"Goodbye Sora, Donald, Goofy, Reina!" you heard her say and you flashed a smile at her before following your friends off to a new world.

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Come in." Sora's voice rang in from his room. You opened the door to see him lying on his bed. His room was slightly messy; clothes were strewn across the floor. It was also bare; the only things that furnished the room were a drawer, the bed, and a closet. Some pictures were hung up on the wall, but you decided to turn your attention to the wounded instead.

"So, how's that cut doing?" you pointed to Sora's arm.

"It's alright." Sora said with a grin and you flushed with satisfaction.

"Maybe you need to shape up _your_ skills." You joked, making him laugh. Then, Sora's expression changed and became a little more serious.

"Hey, Reina, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure. What is it?"

"What was the _real_ reason you left the clearing?"

The question caught you off guard so you didn't know how to answer. Should you tell him the truth? There wasn't any reason not to. Besides, you didn't have a good excuse and he was your friend…he had a right to know.

"I…I was looking for Roxas." You blushed and looked away.

Sora's expression hardened a little and he asked, "Oh…Did you find him?" His eyes widened a little when he that you blushed a deeper shade of red and nodded. Sora was a little mad that he was just there worrying that you were _dead_ while you were out playing around with your boyfriend. You didn't seem to grasp that though.

"Why isn't he here with you?" Sora inquired with a tinge of annoyance, "We…could've met him."

"He's always with me," you repeated Roxas' words without thinking, "In my heart."

Sora blinked at you for three full seconds before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"H-hey!" you shouted, turning red from embarrassment.

"S-sorry!" Sora said between peals of laughter, "It's j-just that…_that_ was so **corny**!"

"Well, _you_ wouldn't understand!" you shouted, "_You've_ never had a special someone!" You were satisfied to see the laughter wiped away Sora's face. He turned his eyes to the wall next to him.

"Well, do ya?" you asked, interested in the subject. When Sora answered by turning a bright shade of red, you went on.

"What's she like?" you pressed, "How long have you known her?" Sora didn't open his lips at all and kept his eyes away from yours. You gasped at his reaction and asked, "Well...is it a guy? 'Cause just so you know I'm okay--"

"**No**!" Sora exclaimed, revolted that you would compare Kairi to a _guy_. Sora was sure Kairi would count as a 'special someone'. After all, he searched a bunch of worlds to find her. That counted, didn't it?

"Then tell me!" you insisted and Sora sighed.

"Never mind, forget it." He said, hoping you would drop it, and you, who assumed that Sora _didn't_ have a special someone, did drop it.

"Well, I'm gonna go to sleep then." You yawned and faced the door.

"Aw, okay then." Sora said, looking a little disappointed.

"You should rest too. I don't my _sidekick_ getting hurt again." You grinned, turning around.

"Sidekick?!" Sora yelled with a hint of laughter.

"Yep, sidekick. Good night, Sora." You laughed, walking out of the room.

"Wait!" Sora called and you poked your head out of the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Uh…Turn off the light when leave, will ya?"

"Sure."

"See ya!"

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow" you smiled, and left to the living room, which was empty. You collapsed on your bed—well, sofa, more like.

*_So much happened lately…_* you thought, lying down. You've fought China's most feared enemy, mastered the Cure spell, helped take down an army of Heartless, and most importantly, met Roxas again.

_Roxas_…

The last encounter was fresh in your mind, and so was the taste of his kiss. The warm feeling rose in your chest again and you felt like Roxas was right there…next to you…and that was the last feeling you felt before unconsciousness.

**~*~*~*~**

Roxas stared into the sleeping face of the Purest of Hearts, thinking about their last encounter. He was different around her...it was like he actually _felt._ And whatever he felt, he was sure it was the closest thing to love.

"When you're done staring at your _girlfriend_…" a familiar voice called from behind him.

"…we have some major issues to get to." Another person finished for him. Roxas spun around to see his two friends, Axel and Demyx, stare at him with knowing grins on their faces.

"How'd you guys get here?!" Roxas asked, surprised.

"Same way _you_ got here, dummy, whadja think?" Axel said walking over to Reina along with Demyx.

"So _she_'s the girl!" Demyx said, peering down at the snoring girl.

"Shut up, you'll wake her!" Roxas hissed and Axel grinned.

"Aww, look at wittle Roxy caring about his _girlfriend_." Axel winked, snickering along with Demyx.

"Hmph…"Roxas grumbled, "Anyway, why are you guys here?"

"Oh, that's very _sweet_." Axel muttered sarcastically as he began sneaking around the ship softly.

"Namine wants to talk to us about the plan in person." Demyx answered.

"Why? I thought we had everything in order." Roxas said a little confused.

"Dunno," Demyx shrugged, "All she said is that the plan will affect us in some way."

"Hey, Demyx!" Axel whispered loudly, creeping back to his friends, "I bet ya 100 munny that this Ship's headed to that castle Xaldin's at."

"Deal." Demyx nodded, clearly without thinking.

"Why is Number Three at a _castle_?" Roxas inquired.

"Beats me. All I know is that he's got me some easy cash." Axel said loftily while Demyx grimaced a little. Axel raised his right hand and created a dark portal from where he and Demyx came from.

"How can you tell where this Ship's headed anyway?" Demyx asked nervously.

"'Cause I'm smart like that," Axel said haughtily. "C'mon, Roxas." He beckoned the remaining member of the Organization to follow him.

"'Kay." He mumbled, looking at Reina once more. He remembered what he said about being in her heart as he gently kissed her forehead.

When the plan actually works, _she'll_ be able to say the same thing to _him_…

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

First of all, a big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for being such an awesome beta!

Kay, so about this chapter….I started off knowing what I was gonna do, but it got kinda weird while I was writing it. The Roxas part came as a last-minute surprise, though, and I liked how it ended out. I also liked the part where Sora and Reina were talking about their 'special someone' too, it was really fun to write….

So what did _you_ think about the chapter? Tell me all about it! I would love to know what you think about this chapter. ^^

~narcotic-lullaby


	8. Feeling Safe

"Whass goin' on?" you said groggily, waking up a violent rumble.

"We've landed at a new world!" Goofy answered from the kitchen. There was a sweet smell wafting out of the kitchen that woke you up instantly.

"So get up, sleepyhead!" Donald called with a smile.

"Mmmkay…" you yawned and got up stretching. You claimed the bathroom and got ready for the big day ahead. A new world! The thought of it made you excited, as with all the other worlds before this one. Then, the excitement died as you thought of the Heartless and Nobodies that must lurk there. There might be stronger Heartless, just like the magic-using ones in the Land of Dragons. Remembering that you were able to use some magic of your own, you pushed back the scared feeling to the back of your head and walked out to breakfast.

"Hey, Reina." You turned around to see Sora walking out of his room with a bright smile on his face.

You returned the smile with one of your own and replied, "Hey, Sora. How's that cut?"

"It's great. Goofy gave me a potion before sleeping, so it's back to normal." Sora assured you. The both you walked over to breakfast together, and a sweet, delicious smell greeted you as you entered the main room.

"Pancakes!" Sora exclaimed happily, looking at the warm golden brown disks that were being served. Sora sat down before anybody and started munching on the delicious pancakes, slathered with sweet maple syrup.

"Smells great." You complemented and Goofy thanked you with a bright smile.

"Oh Reina," Sora called, and you looked up from your food, "Make sure you don't drop your food again."

"Oh, I won't," you assured coolly, "'Cause if I do, I'll make sure you don't _have_ an arm."

"Oh, I remembered," Donald said, diffusing Sora's comeback. Sora was left with his mouth open as Donald spoke, "Good work on that Cure spell, Reina."

"Thanks!" you beamed. Getting a complement from the royal magician made your heart soar with happiness.

"I wonder where we've landed at." Goofy wondered aloud.

"We've landed at some sorta castle." A small, squeaky voice answered. You looked down to see Chip and Dale walking over to the kitchen to grab something to eat. A castle…you imagined what it would be like as conversation broke out around you. You immediately thought that the world you landed on looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale book.

Sadly, you were _very_ wrong.

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

The castle came as a huge disappointment; it was nothing like how you imagined it to be: large and looming, made out of grey stones that matched its ominous feeling. The four of you walked in, without any invitation, through a huge door the squeaked when it opened. You felt fear rise in your chest as you walked slowly, behind Donald and Goofy. When Sora closed the door, you jumped a little at the huge thud that rang out when it shut. The hallway was huge and dimly lit and it was decorated with scary statues of monsters that intensified your fear.

"What is this place?" Sora asked aloud, making you jump again.

"This place is _huge_!" Donald exclaimed, looking around.

"Sorta gloomy, dontcha think?" Goofy asked you all.

"'Gloomy' is an understatement." You muttered, staring at a nearby statue that seemed to be following your every move.

"I wonder who lives here?" Sora asked, and he was answered immediately by a huge roar that rang out through the castle. The roar made your hair stand up as you stood in one place, frozen by the terrifying sound.

"Hey, does anybody recognize that?" Goofy said with a bright expression.

"R-recognize?! You mean that you know that...that...whatever the heck it is?!" you asked tremblingly, shaking a little after the roar's echoes subsided. A second roar filled the hallway and the rest of your group began thinking, while you inched closer to them.

"Hey!" Sora realized, "That's the Beast!"

"Yeah, that's him." Donald agreed after listening to the second roar.

"Maybe we should go check on him." Goofy suggested, obviously not realizing your fear. The three started walking, but you stood rooted to your spot, intent on _not_ going after whatever made that roar. Sora turned around and looked at you with a kind, knowing expression.

"Aw, c'mon, Reina. You're with _us_. Nothing will happen to you." Sora smiled warmly as he outstretched his hand to you, "I'll make sure of it."

You grabbed his arm and stayed close to him, afraid of the source of the roar. As you stayed by Sora, the fear eventually melted away and was replaced by a sense of security, like nothing can harm you as long you're by him. Sora felt himself grow a little warmer at your touch and he felt himself smile at you.

*_And she calls _me_ sidekick_.*he thought with a snicker.

"Hey, what're you laughing at?" you asked him.

"Nothing, it's just that I thought _heroes_ aren't supposed to be afraid of anything." He teased. The two of you were walking close together, behind Goofy and Donald who were in a deep conversation about the person called 'The Beast.'

"I'm not afraid." you said standing up straighter. Then, a familiar twinkle appeared in your eyes as you admitted, "Actually, I kinda am."

Sora raised his eyebrows at your honesty. "Really?" he asked.

"Yep. I'm afraid for you," you grinned, "I'm wondering what that thing would do to my sidekick."

"Hey, nothing can get past me!" Sora puffed up indignantly.

"Sure," you nodded sarcastically, "_Someday_ you'll be good as me."

"Oh, I'm _way_ past **that** mark."

"Keep dream—"you tried to retort, but Donald interrupted you with a shout of "Look!"

He was pointing to a small, black Shadow Heartless, which was crawling over to a room on the right side of the hallway.

"Here too?" you heard Sora groan.

"C'mon, let's go after it." You said, following the Heartless along with the others. When you arrived at the room the Heartless entered, you were puzzled to find that it wasn't there anymore.

"Where'd it go?" Goofy asked aloud. There were no Heartless; just a comfortable looking room with ancient paintings on the walls and a huge, blazing fireplace in the middle it. The room looked very expensive, though, but you thought the statue on the table was priceless.

_Was_ it a statue?

Looking closely at it, you realized it was a rose standing upright, emitting an otherworldly glow. The rose had a shimmering air around it, and it was encased in a protective glass dome. The rose was so beautiful and you couldn't blame Donald for coming at it more closely, like he was in a trance casted by the rose's beauty.

As soon as he tried to touch it though, a Heartless appeared, making him jump.

"I've found it!" Donald exclaimed, getting into a defensive stance. Heartless cropped up everywhere and luckily, they were all just small Shadow Heartless. But, no matter how many you took down, it seemed like those Heartless kept coming back, with more allies.

"Oh, cmon! Enough already!" Sora shouted at the Heartless and you agreed— it was like they kept multiplying.

"Somebody help us!" Donald screamed in frustration.

Then, on cue, a huge brown…_beast_ appeared through the doors, and you sensed a funny darkness radiating from him. He just barged through to doors and started attack the Heartless—hitting them and sending them flying in every direction. The Beast finished off the Heartless with superior strength, just another reason for you to be scared of him.

You backed away from the Beast, Heartseeker raised in caution. Sora turned to you and smiled to let you know that he was a friend. You looked at the angry Beast uncertainly as Sora approached him bravely with a casual smile.

"Just in time!" he said, raising his hand up as if he were expecting a high five. Instead, he received a big blow from the Beast, which knocked him into the wall.

"Sora!" you cried, rushing to him. He was a little dazed, but otherwise alright. He wore a confused, hurt frown as he stared at the angry Beast. Donald and Goofy were too surprised at the incident to react, and before they knew it, the Beast pushed them away as well.

"**Hey**!" you shouted at him, outraged. It was like a fire started to burn inside of you, and you didn't seem to care that the Beast just took out a bunch of Heartless in a couple of seconds or that he could finish you off just as easily. There was just no way he could just push your friends aside like that _and_ expect to get away with it! The Beast didn't seem to listen you to you and you started to march toward him, but Sora quickly rested his hand on your shoulder, mouthing, "_Don't!_"

You glared at the Beast, who was holding the rose in the glass dome as if it were his life. With it, he walked away as if nobody else was in the room, and nothing unusual happened in it.

"Why'd he have to do that?" Donald stamped his foot angrily, rubbing his face.

"Gee, do ya think he mighta forgot who we are?" Goofy asked aloud, staring at the door along with the others. It was obvious that that Beast guy didn't usually act like this, but that didn't change your feelings about him.

"With this many Heartless around," Sora reasoned, "_something_ must be up." You silently agreed, remembering the weird aura of darkness you sensed from him when he first entered.

"Let's go check it out then. He's your friend, after all." You suggested half-heartedly as the group nodded.

"I hope he'll be okay..." Goofy said hopefully, as Donald and Sora muttered in agreement.

You stared at the room, which was a little disheveled after the encounter with a Heartless. You felt a strange aura going around in the room, like the one you felt when the Beast entered the room.

"C'mon, Reina." Sora muttered to you and the both of you walked out of the Parlor Room.

"This place is kinda weird…" you shivered.

"Yeah, I know." Sora agreed.

"…Are ya sure, Donald?" Goofy asked uncertainly to the short duck who looked confused.

"I'm sure!" Donald insisted.

"What's going on?" Sora asked as you two approached them.

"I saw a lady at the top of the stairs!" Donald said, pointing to a grand staircase.

"Hey!" Sora said as if a light bulb flashed over his head, "If the Beast is here, then Belle must be here too!"

"Right! That lady musta been Belle. It's been a while since we've seen of the princesses." Goofy said brightly as the others nodded.

"Wow…a _princess_…here?!" you said excitedly, wishing to meet her at once.

"Yup. Belle might know what happened to the Beast!" Donald exclaimed.

"Then let's go!" you cheered, feeling happy for the first time you've entered this world…well, maybe it's not the first time. You felt happy at the time when Sora was by you when you were scared. You looked over at the brunette, who was looking around the castle with an interested eye, and smiled.

You were lucky to have Sora as a friend.

**~*~**

The group was walking in a long hallway in the East Wing, where Donald indicated he'd seen Belle.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" a voice muffled from the other side of a door.

*_Is that her?_* you thought. She sounded sad. Your group circled the door, with Donald standing right in front of it. Sora pointed at the door and Donald, who took the signal the wrong way, muttered, "Okay" and barged in through the door. The door opened to reveal a pretty young woman, with brown doe-like eyes and long brown hair tied into a low ponytail. She was wearing a simple blue and white dress and a surprised expression on her kind face.

"Hey, who opened the door?!" Donald grumbled.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" she exclaimed delightedly, picking up Donald and hugging him tightly.

"Donald!" she smiled as she hugged the struggling duck.

"Sora! Goofy!" her eyes brightened as she saw them.

"-Put me down! Put me **down**!" Donald's cries finally reached Belle's ears and she set him down with a smile on her face.

"Hiya!" Sora greeted as Goofy waved at her. Sora introduced you to Belle, and you found out that she was as kind as she looked.

"Hey, where's the Beast?" Sora asked her. Then, Belle's expression changed into one of sadness as she sighed, "Oh he must be in the West Wing…we don't talk like we used to."

"Did…something happen?" you asked sympathetically, feeling for the princess. It looked like she liked the Beast and how he was acting recently obviously hurt her.

"Yes. He's been acting very strange lately, and the only ones who know what happened are locked in the Dungeon. I want to help them, but…" Belle trailed off sadly, thinking about what might happen if the Beast caught her sneaking around the castle again. He was always worked up about her looking around the castle.

"Wait a second. Who locked _who_ up?!" Sora asked, confused.

"The Beast locked up his servants. I don't know why, though." Belle said sadly.

"Don't worry, Belle! We'll find out where the servants are!" Goofy offered in his cheery voice.

"Yeah, and we might even find out why the Beast's acting so strange lately." Donald added, as you and Sora nodded in agreement. A smile broke out on Belle's face.

"Thank you, you guys!" she beamed, "You can get to the Undercroft from the West Hall. The Dungeon is down there."

"No problem. You count on us, Belle." You said with a smile. You turned to follow your friends out of the room.

"Be careful!" you heard Belle call.

"Don't worry, we can handle ourselves." Sora smirked cockily as he waved to Belle.

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

"There should be a way around here…" Sora muttered as you all looked around for an entrance into the Undercroft in the West Hall. There weren't any doors in sight.

"Hey, there might be a hidden door somewhere." Donald suggested, "Let's split up and look around."

"Right." You nodded and you all split up to different areas of the hallway. Your eyes searched your area—and spotted a wardrobe standing in the middle a hallway. Why would a wardrobe be in the middle of a hallway? You walked over to it suspiciously and shouted to your friends, "Hey, I think I've found something!"

The group approached it and Sora pushed the wardrobe aside, which revealed a hidden door.

"Here it is!" he said triumphantly.

"Do you _mind_?!" the…the _wardrobe_ shouted, leaving all of you frozen in shock. An angry face appeared on it as it went back to hide the doorway.

"What're we gonna do _now_?" Goofy whispered, presenting the problem.

"How 'bout me and Goofy push this, and Reina and Donald lets us know if it starts waking up." Sora suggested in a low voice and your group silently agreed with nods. Sora and Goofy started pushing the wardrobe, and in no time, the door was exposed enough to let you all through. Suddenly, the wardrobe woke up again, now more irritated than ever.

"Just when I was getting comfortable too," she muttered as she glared at you all, "May I _help_ you?!"

"Erm…Belle sent us to rescue prisoners from the dungeon." Sora said meekly, not wanting to meet the wardrobe's harsh glare. To your surprise, the wardrobe's expression turned from cranky to happy and delighted.

"Oh you're here to help my friends? Why didn't you say so!" the four of you looked at each other nervously, not knowing what to say. The wardrobe went on, "I used to be human until an enchantress used her spell. I was turned into a wardrobe and the prince was turned to a beast."

"The **prince** is a _beast_?!" Donald cried in shock.

"The **Beast** is a _prince_?!" Goofy gawked in equal surprise.

"Do you know more about the spell?" you pressed, hoping you could get some more information.

"Well…" she whispered in a serious voice, "It was a cold winter's night…"

"Uh-huh…." You muttered, giving the wardrobe your full attention. The others also hung to every word she was saying, interested in the story…which the wardrobe decided not to finish.

"And that's enough for now. You'll hear the rest after you've found my friends. It'll give you something to look forward to." She said with satisfaction, as if this was some kind of revenge for waking her up.

"Let's go." Sora sighed; he was really hoping to listen to that story. It's not often you get to listen to talking furniture.

The four of you walked through the green door, wondering what was on the other side. The room was dark and gloomy; it had random things around it, like tables, chairs, and other junk. What prevented you all from going further was a huge, funny looking stone door that was shut tight.

"This must be it…" Sora said, crossing his arms. Donald approached the door and put his ear to it, trying to hear what's on the other side. He jumped back in surprise when the door started glowing with darkness. The funny patterns on the door changed into real Heartless, bigger and stronger than any you have seen so far.

You took a huge breath of air as you summoned the Heartseeker. This Heartless was real business and you knew you couldn't mess up here. Fear filled you up quickly and you already felt your legs turning to jelly. So, instead of going for the big Heartless, you decided to play it safe and take down the much smaller Heartless that accompanied the Thresholder Heartless.

You internally scoffed at yourself. How long will you stay on the sidelines like this? What if the other three actually need you to face a huge Heartless? What then? You didn't want to think about it right now, so you just focused yourself on battling the minor Heartless.

When the battle was over, and the Thresholder Heartless was defeated, a black ghost-like Heartless escaped from it and vanished, leaving the door to be Heartless-free.

The four of you went through it, hoping to find someone—but no one was there.

"There's nobody here." Sora echoed into the empty room. Funnily enough, there was a teapot, a candle holder, a tea cup and an old-looking clock sitting on chairs, as if _they_ were the prisoners.

"So, there's no one to rescue?!" Donald asked, annoyed. All that work for nothing!

"Did someone say rescue?" a voice asked out loud. Everyone looked at each other, surprised at where the voice came from.

"Shhh! It might be _them_. You'll blow our cover!" a second, worried voice spoke. Where was all this coming from?

You all craned your necks around as a female voice spoke, "Oh they look like nice people to me."

"We are nice!" Goofy assured whoever was speaking, "We're your friends."

"Yeah," you called out, "Belle sent us to find you. Where are you guys?" you called, hoping they would reveal themselves.

"Right in front of you, _mademoiselle_." The first voice said, now in a recognizable French accent. You were stunned once again to see the teapot, the candle holder, the clock and the tea cup all jump to life and approach your group. They all had interested, smiling expressions on their surfaces. They all introduced themselves to you—the teapot was appropriately named and her son, the tea cup was named Chip. The candle holder's name was Lumiere and the clock's name was Cogsworth. In turn, Sora introduced your group to theirs.

Donald, who was thoroughly fascinated with the rescued prisoners, grabbed the clock and shook him interestedly.

"D-don't touch! I'm self-winding, sir!" Cogsworth cried, as if he lost all his dignity. Donald set him down as Cogworth sent him an evil glare, dusting himself off. Geez, you guys were getting on a lot of furniture's' nerves.

"I'm glad you're okay," Sora said, crouching down to Lumiere.

"It is we who are overjoyed to see _you_!" Lumiere said with a smile.

"Did someone put a spell on you guys too?" Goofy asked, looking at the animate pieces of furniture as if he still couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yes, that's right!" Cogsworth said, his face brightening up, "You've heard!"

"It seems so long ago…" Lumiere trailed off, crossing his arms.

"It was a cold winter's night…" started and you all were instantly hooked to her words, hanging on to every syllable, hoping to finish the story.

"An old beggar came to the castle and asked for shelter." said, and Cogworth opened his mouth to continue.

"But the master of this castle, that is of course, the Prince..." Cogsworth tried, but Donald opened the glass body, which really ticked Cogworth off. Again. Cogsworth slapped Donald's hand away, with a harsh glare. "Stop that! Put me down this instant!"

Donald obeyed and set him down on a chair. Cogworth cleared his throat and continued, "But the Prince turned her away, all because of…_ahem_ her meager appearance."

"That's horrible..." you frowned, feeling sorry for the poor beggar.

"_Oui._ He was a spoiled prince," Lumiere continued, "He was selfish and, how shall I say it…cruel…"

"The old woman warned out master not to be deceived by her appearance. Yet, he still didn't take her in." Cogsworth said, with a hint of regret in his voice.

"Then, the old woman's ugliness melted away, revealing a beautiful enchantress," finished, clearly remembering that day, "She turned the Prince into a beast, a shape she thought fitting for his cold heart. And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted too."

"Wow, that's awful." You commented after the story was finished.

"Maybe, if we can find the enchantress—"Sora started suggesting, but Lumiere shook his head sadly.

"There's no point in trying, we already know what needs to happen for the spell to break…" Lumiere said, with a thoughtful expression. Then, he shook out of it and stated seriously, "We're worried about our master; we think he's becoming a Heartless!"

"**Heartless**!?" your group exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, good thing we're here, then. We'll help you guys." Goofy managed, when you all recovered from your shock.

"Follow me, then." Lumiere started waddling towards the exit, "I know a shortcut."

You all followed the candle holder; along with all the others to the same place you battled the Thresholder Heartless.

"Up here." Lumiere said, jumping on boxes to reach a balcony overhead; something you didn't notice before. When all of you finally got onto the crowded balcony, Lumiere turned to the two suits of armor that blocked the way and cleared his throat.

"Make way for our guests!" he commanded and the two suits of armor moved aside. You eyes widened in wonder once again; this castle never failed to amaze you. You reached a silent room with many boxes strewn about.

"All we have to do now is go through the secret passageway. However, there's one little problem." Lumiere said and he turned to Cogsworth to explain.

"Oh, yes, there's a contraption that is holding us back. Observe." He said, and, using what it looked like his whole strength, he jumped and pulled down a switch. With a slow old creak, a chain dropped, attached to a lantern that was lit by black, enchanted flames.

"If we could light all the lanterns in the secret passageway, the door would open." said, hopping to the flame.

"But as you can see, the flames are already burning with an enchanted flame. We need to think of some way to get rid of them." Lumiere explained.

"What if I use my Keyblade?" Sora suggested, as he raised the Keyblade towards the lantern.

"It's worth a shot." Chip said hopefully. Sora approached the lantern and a beam of light emitted from the tip of the Keyblade and went into contact with the enchanted flame. The darkness around the flame died and watered what was left of the flame and Lumiere lighted a new, blazing fire.

"Hey, it worked!" you said happily, looking at new flame.

"But we must hurry" Lumiere stated, looking at Cogsworth, still dangling from the switch, "You can't expect him hold on forever."

"Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" Cogsworth shouted.

"Well, then you'd better hurry." said Goofy, who was worried about Cogsworth.

"Go Sora!" you cheered. Sora gave you a goofy smile and turned away quickly to the next lantern. As soon as he turned the corner, your eyes wandered off to the various junk that littered the place. You wandered off from Goofy and Donald were to a corner, where there were more things to look at. A familiar flash of pain hit your head, and you heard voices again…those same voices, only that they sounded less out of a radio and more real:

"_Hey, Reina! Wait up!" a boy's voice called me…was it…was it _him_?_

"_Finally, I thought you weren't coming, Roxas!" It _was_ him! I wanted to see him immediately. As if wanting to fulfill my wish, a blurred image of two blue eyes and face comes across, and I know it's him; it has to be._

"_Sorry I was a little late…" I heard him apologize._

"_A little?! You made me wait here for an hour!" _

"_Sorry…so where is he anyway?" I heard him ask, trying to change the subject._

"_Who?" I heard myself ask, "----?" _

The vague scene blurred out and you found yourself back at the Beast's Castle.

*_W-what's going on?_*you thought, scared, *_What's with these…these flashes I'm getting? Do they mean something?_*

"Hey, Reina!" you heard someone say. You turned to see Donald calling you; it seemed that they re- lighted all of the lanterns and the way out was open.

"Uh…sure, I'll be right there." You warbled out, feeling a little weird after seeing that flash. You tried to shake it out of your head as you met up with your group and presented them with a smile. Sora raised an eyebrow at you but said nothing as Lumiere began talking.

"We shall be going back to our duties, my friends. I'm afraid we've been away too long, and I want to make sure everything's running perfectly. Thank you all very much for all of your help." Lumiere thanked as he, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip bowed down to your group.

"And I will accompany you all to the master's room." Cogworth said. You stared hesitantly into the black entryway that was the way out. What was on the other side? Heartless? Nobodies? There could be more Heartless like the Thresholder, and you couldn't afford to break down like you did a few seconds ago if you encountered them. Taking a deep breath, you entered the darkness along with your friends.

**~*~*~*~*~**

"It's time you dealt with Belle…" a slow, deep voice told the Beast as he stared at his precious rose that was laid on a stone table.. The rose gave off a dim, red glow that was pulsating steadily, giving off light into the dimly lit room. The only other person in the room was a tall figure, covered in a black cloak that was the uniform of his order.

"She's scheming to take everything you have." The Nobody continued assured that he would be able to consume the Beast into anger. It was only a matter of time until he'll be able to control the Beast's Nobody.

"This castle, your precious rose and then—your _life_." The cloaked man said, "Trust no one! Feed your anger—only anger will keep you strong." He turned to the Beast for his response.

The Beast raised his head slowly and sadly and muttered, "I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want—"

"What? To love and be loved in return?" the Nobody finished for him mockingly. To trigger the Beast's anger he added, "Who could _ever_ love a beast?"

The Beast roared in anger, confusion and humiliation. At that same moment, your group entered the room, and the cloaked man took one long look at your group before muttering, "See? She has accomplices." Your heart dropped a little; it didn't sound like the guy from Hallow Bastion and you wished it were so you could ask him questions. Then, your heart dropped even more as you caught the Beast's furious look.

Then, he disappeared in a haze of darkness, leaving the Beast in a storm of anger and darkness. You took one good look at the Beast and stayed behind the group, fearing him.

"Hey Prince!" Sora greeted with a hopeful smile but your group was met by a vicious roar, which made you freeze with terror.

"Oh my!" Cogsworth exclaimed, seeing his master act like this for the first time. The Beast growled loudly and that growl turned into a second roar, and you took out your Heartseeker. The beast hurled himself at your group and the group broke up, avoiding his attack.

"Please master! Please!" Cogsworth shouted repeatedly, trying to get to the Beast, "Please wake up!" The battle went on like that, all of trying to avoid or block the Beast's attacks while Cogsworth tried to bring the Beast back to his senses. Soon, the darkness evaporated from around his and his eyes were cleared of anger, replaced with sadness. He came back to reality and he clutched his head as if he had a headache.

"Cogsworth…what happened?" he rasped.

"Well, master…ah, you see…" Cogsworth fidgeted nervously, "that is…How should I say this…ah, actually…mmmm…"

"Well, you put everybody down there in that dungeon!" Donald finished for poor Cogsworth.

"Ah…you did!" Cogsworth finally managed out.

"I did?" the Beast said, looking defeated and sad. You didn't feel scared of him at all then; you felt more pity for him.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" you asked interestedly, "You know, the one in black?"

The Beast growled angrily and you flinched a little. "Xaldin!" he grumbled, "That's his name…he came from the darkness. He used my anger to control me!" He slumped, looking sad once again and muttered, "He took all my sorrows, my sadness, my pain—and turned it all into rage! There was nothing I could do; I could no longer see the truth."

"Well I'll be!" Goofy exclaimed, pounding his fist into his hand, "That must be why you threw all your friends down there into the dungeon. You wanted to make sure that ya didn't hurt 'em, right?"

"Was that it?" Beast wondered aloud, "Was it to protect them?"

"Sure, we all know you're good inside." Donald nodded.

"He's right Master!" Cogsworth agreed "We've all seen how kind you can be. After all, Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to—"

"Belle!" the Beast cut off, as if he suddenly remembered her. Then, he slouched again, and sighed, "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that." Sora said.

"She'd never tell anyone about my cruelty…she's too good." The Beast trailed off, no doubt thinking about Belle. You were sure they liked each other, and you decided to try and help.

"You see, I'm afraid he judges himself _far_ too harshly," Cogsworth whispered to you guys.

"Cogsworth's right. Why dontcha just go and talk to her?" you asked, hoping he would agree.

"But…"

"No excuses! C'mon, we'll go with you." You added, and the Beast considered and finally agreed. Your group headed out of the room, and you and Sora were again behind of the pack.

"I thought you were scared of him." Sora said with a soft smirk.

"Me? Well… He's not all that bad once ya get to know him." You replied, whispering.

"What about the first time we met him?" Sora went on.

"Yeah, I was _really_ scared when we first saw him." You looked into his shining blue eyes quizzically, "Why?"

"No, just wondering…you almost took him on when he slammed me, though." He reasoned.

"Well, he hurt you guys, and I couldn't bear it. I wanted to do something about it." You said, remembering how a fire lit inside of you when the Beast hit your friends.

"Even though you knew he could finish you off in two seconds?

"Yeah, but he—Hey!" you looked at him as you realized something, "You didn't think I could take him on?!"

"Well…" Sora trailed off, making you hit him playfully. "Anyways…thanks."

"Huh?" you blinked

"You went up against him, even though you were scared of him, just for us. So thanks for having my back."

"Uh… no problem," you flustered, not expecting what he said. After a moment's silence, you said, "Well, we're friends, remember? All for one and one for all! I'll have your back no matter what."

"And so will I. We won't have to be scared of anything then." Sora said.

"T-thanks…" you said, very touched at his kind words. Then, you looked up at him with a grin and said, "Well, there's always _one_ thing to be afraid of."

"What?"

"Your cooking." You laughed at Sora's indignant expression.

"Hey, it's not all that bad, you know!" Sora insisted angrily. His expression changed when he caught your laughing one. He couldn't help but smiling at you as the two of you caught up with the rest of the group. The previous fear that you had of this castle evaporated instantly as you looked over at Sora and your friends. You knew he'd be there to have your back, no matter what. So, together, the both of you faced what lied ahead, with no fears, no worries.

Just each other.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Kay, so first off, a big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for being a great beta-reader!

This chapter is pretty long compared to the previous one, which why it took so long to post. Also, this chapter is the only one that makes me think taking French class has an upside. =p (Only 'cause of one word: _mademoiselle_, which means 'Miss' in French.) What I liked about it was the end, it was my favorite. ^^ In the end, this chapter was really difficult to write and I'm afraid it's kinda boring at some points, since it's too long.

So, please tell me your honest opinion of this chapter, I would really appreciate it!

~narcotic-lullaby


	9. Differences and Similarities

"…So, in short," Demyx concluded after group meeting consisting of Roxas, Axel, and Namine, "You're saying that once Reina gets those memories back, we'll see them too?"

"Precisely." Namine answered in her usual calm tone. The four Nobodies were in a pure white room with white tables and chairs. Pictures of various things and places adorned the blank wall.

"I wonder how she'll react to all of them…" Roxas blanched a little as he said this.

*_Will she think of us differently….if she finally sees us for who we are?_* he thought.

"Don't worry, Roxas! She's probably just be confused at first, be I'm sure she'll learn to accept it later on." Axel assured his tense friend.

"You won't have to worry about hat anytime soon, though." Namine said, starting to draw on a blank piece of paper.

"Why do you say that?" Demyx asked.

"It's getting hard to get those memories in her again…her heart isn't like any others." Namine trailed off with a close imitation of longing. To have a heart…it's something that she really wanted…and with the help of this plan, it may even come true.

No…she'll make it _sure_ it will come true.

**~*~*~*~**

The group was walking along the main entrance room, to the East Wing where Belle was supposed to be. But as soon as you all passed a large set of green doors in the middle of the room, a muffled scream rang out.

"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!" a female voice shouted.

"Belle! Where are you?" the Beast cried out.

"Beast! Help! I'm the ballroom!" Belle yelled back. Without another word, Beast slammed through the huge green doors to see Belle running across the room in fear.

"Belle!" he yelled.

"I'm alright!" she shouted back, securing herself outside on the balcony as a huge, spherical ball of darkness fell from the ceiling. It was a Heartless, and you stepped back in fear as it went into the floor and caused the whole room to be engulfed into pure darkness, all except for the huge chandelier overhead.

"Oh **crap**!" you exclaimed, staring at the darkness-filled floor. You hesitated as the Heartseeker appeared in your hands. Were you ready? You looked over at your shocked—but determined—friends who all got ready to fight the huge Heartless. Of course you were; after all, there was nothing to be afraid of anymore as long as you were with your friends. You got into an offensive stance and charged at the Heartless, which was currently inside of the many pillars of the grand ballroom.

Taking care of the Shadow Stalker Heartless wasn't very complicated; it was just a little hard as it possessed different parts of the room every time your group managed to get it out of the object. There weren't any minor Heartless to deal with, and at the beginning, you hesitated to get close to it. But gradually, you were able to battle it just like everyone else and your accomplishment filled you up with a sense of strength and bravery.

Then, as the battle seemed to be over, the Heartless pulled another trick. It covered itself in a tangle of ropes made of darkness, making it look like a sinister caterpillar. Being the curious idiot you were, you approached it closely, not realizing what could go wrong.

"I don't think you should do that." Sora warned. From his experience, coming in contact with a disabled Heartless that didn't fade clearly was bad news. But _you_ didn't have his experience.

"I'm just checking it out…" you insisted and reached out to touch the huge ball of darkness. But, before you could touch it, the ball vibrated and burst open. The force of the explosion sent you flying back like a ragdoll, which caused you to hit one of the huge marble pillars. To add, the explosion also revealed a new, stronger Heartless that seemed much angrier and ready to fight then the previous one.

To you, it felt as if the whole world blanked out and the blow seemed to cancel out all sound and sight. It made you go into a state of unconsciousness; you were only slightly awake to see and hear little flashes of what was going on. Blood was oozing out of your head and trickling down your face and your arms and back felt like they were cut into pieces.

"Reina!" Sora rushed your aid with lightning speed. You barely heard his voice or even the raging battle that just started.

"R-Roxas…?" you croaked out as you looked into two bright blue eyes, the same color of eyes that you were so used to. Sora winced at this mistake and thought, *_Why does she keep calling me that …?_*

"No, it's me, Sora." Sora corrected softly, kneeling by you with a grim expression. At that moment, Donald, who was free from fighting for a couple of seconds, raised his wand at you and shouted, "Cure!"

Green charms rang over your head and you instantly felt better, the bleeding stopped and it felt your limbs were stitched back together again, although there was still a throbbing pain in your head.

Your eyes brightened and your expression lit up, which helped Sora manage out a relieved sigh. You sat up and saw that the rest of the group was fighting the intimidating Heartless that seemed very agile and tough. And after getting hit so bad, you wondered if you were ready for it or not.

As if clearing up your doubt, Sora's hand rested on your shoulder and his eyes were calm, making you feel assured again. Assured that your friends would always be there for you, not matter what. You felt courage spark inside of you and you looked over at the Heartless with determination. That same determination made you forget about the pain in your head, replaced with strength and courage. With Sora, you charged at the raging Heartless, this time with a strategy planned out.

While the Heartless was preoccupied with the Beast, Goofy, Donald and now Sora, you waited for the perfect moment to execute your plan. Finally, when the Heartless was under the golden chandelier, you used it as a trampoline to boost yourself onto the chandelier, using your weight to make it drop straight on the Heartless, crushing it.

"Ha, take that!" you rang out triumphantly as the Heartless twitched ad struggled to get up. When it did get up however, the smile slid off your face as the Heartless turned to you with pure anger and darkness. It let out a huge roar that made you step back, but with your Heartseeker raised. All you seemed to hear was the blood pounding in your ears as the Heartless inched closer…and closer…

Suddenly, your friends jumped in front of you, as if forming a protective shield from the Heartless. The Heartless hesitated for a second, then it lurched forward for a strike at Goofy, who easily dodged the attack because of the Heartless' slow speed. You charged the Heartless along with the others and soon enough, the Heartless collapsed and disappeared in a haze of darkness. The darkness that covered the room soon melted and light filled the room, though this time it was faint since you crushed the chandelier on the finally defeated Heartless. Your whole body seemed to put a lot effort in standing up; you were trembling and your body seemed to be drained of all energy.

"We did it!" Sora cheered happily, even though he was exhausted from the fight.

"So you think." A cold, deep voice sneered. The group turned around to see a cloaked man, his face covered by his hood.

"Xaldin!" Beast roared and charged to him, but 'Xaldin' disappeared with darkness only giving a flat "Farewell." as he left.

"What does he want here?" Beast grumbled angrily.

"He must be from Organization XIII." Donald said aloud. Beast looked at him curiously.

"Ever heard of the Nobodies?" Sora asked the Beast, who turned to him. "When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody is created too. See, the Organization's got control of all the Nobodies."

"That's right! And they were gonna make you into a Heartless!" Goofy said angrily as the Nobodies' plan dawned on him.

"So they can make him into a Nobody and control him too?" Sora finished for Goofy, who nodded as the rest of the group went into bursts of outrage and shock.

"You're alright!" Belle's voice rang out when she realized all danger was cleared. She sent you all a radiant smile and that smile grew even brighter as she laid on eyes on the Beast.

"Belle!" Beast shouted as he rushed towards her. The room grew slightly brighter and you were able to see Belle's hard expression as Lumiere, Cogworth, and Chip hopped into the room. With the help of Sora, you were able to walk toward the reunited couple without collapsing.

"B-Belle…I'm sorry…I wasn't myself...I hope I didn't do anything to hurt you. Forgive me." Beast apologized sincerely, with his head down. At this, Belle smiled warmly again and shook her head.

"I knew you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize." Belle waved off and the Beast looked up hopefully.

"But I had hoped…you might have changed a little bit." Belle scolded, waving an accusing finger at the Beast, who stepped back with a guilty expression. "I wish you could start trusting me." She said, looking away from him, crossing her arms. She looked mad and you hoped that everything would be okay, even in your hazy state. Beast bowed his head down in defeat and guilt as Belle looked away angrily, lost in her own thoughts.

"Oh, I'm afraid time is running short." Lumiere commented at the scene.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Remember the rose?" Lumiere said with a question of his own.

"From the Beast's room?" Donald remembered fondly.

"Precisely," Cogsworth nodded, "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls..."

"...the spell will be broken," Lumiere finished off with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" Sora asked skeptically.

"We think so." smiled and Chip nodded ecstatically.

"Yep. I think you're right!" Goofy said cheerily.

"I hope you're right." You muttered, looking at the couple who both were lost in their own thoughts. Then, as a distraction, the Heartseeker appeared in your hands and you knew what you had to do, even though you didn't want to, since you already felt really tired.

The Heartseeker pointed to nothing in particular; just toward the room you fought Beast when he was filled with darkness.

*_Maybe…it's connected to the rose?_* you guessed as the room suddenly was filled with light from the newfound Keyhole. The sudden brightness made your head hurt even more and seemed as the light engulfed as it seemed you falling into darkness…

"_A little!? You made me wait here for an hour!"_

"_Sorry, sorry...so where is he anyway?"_

"_Who…? Oh! Are you talking about---?"_

Sora lurched forward and caught you before you hit the ground, which pulled you back from the confusing darkness.

*_Those voices…._* you thought dizzily, resting your weight mostly on Sora. *_They've got to mean something…or maybe I'm just thinking of him too much._* your mind was cloudy, and just decided on whatever theory came in your mind. You just thought it was some random memory of him, of Roxas…

…Yeah right.

That memory had a whole plan behind it, and so did many other memories in your heart. And you didn't know it.

"Hey, are you still there?" Sora asked you anxiously, shaking you gently. You nodded feebly, not wanting to waste the oxygen. You tried to stand up but the attempt was weak and Sora's firm grasp prevented you from slipping away from him. You tried to regain your composure again and stood up straight, gazing at everyone blearily.

"What happened?" Beast asked, looking at you with concern.

"The gate is open!" Donald mused.

"Do you all have to go now?" Belle asked sadly; she wanted to get to know you all more but looking at your condition, she knew it wasn't possible at the moment. Goofy nodded sadly then a knowing smile lit his face.

"Now, no more arguin' okay?" Goofy winked at Beast and Belle. They both looked at each other shyly and looked away again, smiles creeping up their happy faces.

*_Isn't that cute?_* you thought happily, looking at the couple.

"Take care then, dears." said, taking a little bow.

"You're welcome here anytime!" Cogsworth exclaimed, opening his arms out in a welcoming gesture, though his eyes lingered on Donald for a second.

"If you hear anything about Riku, the King, Heartless, the Organization, then let us—" Sora started, but he was cut off by your soft whisper.

"And Roxas, don't forget about him." You reminded the brunette. He stared at you and a flicker of annoyance flew across his face before he started speaking again.

"…and Roxas. If you hear anything about them, let us know, okay?" Sora finished. "See ya guys later then!"

"Bye bye!" Donald sang, as Goofy waved to your newfound friends. You turned to them and gave them a short smile wave and turned sluggishly over to the exit, looking forward to a nice sleep. You really needed it; there were many other obstacles greater than just fighting a Heartless ahead and you needed as much rest you can get.

**~*~*~*~**

"**Ow**!" you shouted as Donald applied a stinging ointment to your wound. "Is this supposed to _help_?!"

You all were back safely in the Gummi Ship; you and Donald were in the living room, trying to cure the cut on your head, after you took a snooze of course.

"Hold still!" Donald scolded with frustration. He was trying to heal your wound, without any success. Every time he came close to dabbing the cut with the stinging ointment, you jerked away like a child refusing to eat vegetables.

"Well, it hurts!" you shouted back. Donald sighed and tried to regain patience.

"It'll hurt even more when it gets infected. So man up!" he grumbled and you shut your eyes and braced yourself. Donald took this opportunity to dab the ointment on your head which made your forehead sting with pain, but the pain died out as quickly as it came and you opened your eyes.

"It...wasn't that bad…" you admitted.

"Told you." Donald said triumphantly as he applied a huge band-aid on your forehead. At that moment, Sora rushed in with a confused expression on his face.

"Hey, Donald, Goofy called you." Sora announced.

"What happened?" Donald asked, standing up.

"He said something about the Ship moving on its own somewhere." Sora shrugged. He turned to you and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yep. And it's all thanks to Donald here." You hugged the duck, who took it as a pleasant surprise.

"You're welcome." Donald said cheerily, happy that his work paid off. He walked off to the controls to see what the trouble was, with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you too. Thanks for helping me back there." You turned to Sora and hugged him too, thanking him for having your back, just as he promised. His eyes widened in surprise at your random hug attack and his heart did a funny little jump when you embraced him— it went into a series of fast beats, something he hadn't felt in ages.

"W-We made a promise. I was just keeping it." He rambled, waving of a funny feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah, but thanks anyway. You're a great friend." You smiled, and wandered off to the Front, where Donald and Goofy would be. Sora felt himself smiling warmly as he followed you. Suddenly, a familiar but violent rumble shook the whole Ship and that only meant one thing: you were all at a new world. You and Sora rushed to the Front and saw an old, worn-out castle in the distance.

"Hallow Bastion? Why are we here?" Donald voiced the question that rang out in everyone's mind.

"Dunno, we'll just hafta check what's going on here. Hope there's no Heartless around." Goofy said and you hoped that he was right.

**~*~*~*~**

"I wonder what's up?" Sora wondered aloud as the four of you walked over to Merlin's house—the only house that was able to summon you all under short notice. Crowds of people around the marketplace made it hard to get to his house. Luckily, the Heartless was kept to a minimum, so they were easy to get past and easy enough for the claymores to take care of them without your interference.

"Hey, look!" Donald exclaimed as he pointed to the open doors of Hallow Bastion's Restoration Committee's headquarters—from which three Soldier Heartless exited. The Heartless disappeared as soon as they saw you, meaning that their job at the headquarters was done, and you all exchanged grim glances with each other.

When you entered, you saw a very old wizard wearing blue robes and round glasses sprawled across the floor. He had a very long and pointy white beard that reached his feet as he stood up.

"Well now," the old wizard cleared his throat as he dusted himself off. "Took your time, didn't you?"

"Sorry." You apologized on behalf of everyone.

"There's no need to, Reina." The wizard waved off with a smile.

"You know my name?!" your eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course, I've heard a lot about you. Allow me introduce myself, I am Merlin." Merlin introduced, and you did the same.

"So, what's up?" Sora asked, wondering why Merlin brought you all here in the first place.

"Well, I happened to stumble across this in the Zero District." Merlin said as he stretched out his palm and a poof of white smoke appeared. Donald and you looked in complete interest as the smoke cleared and revealed a thick book. Merlin handed the heavy book to Donald and you all crouched around it with interest. It looked like a children's book, with the title _Winnie the Pooh_ written across it in big brown letters.

"Pooh's storybook!" Sora exclaimed, looking at the book with wide eyes.

"That's right. I know you're a good friend of Winnie the Pooh, Sora - that's why I summoned you. And when I did, I was attacked by the Heartless. Of course, I fought back with some rather powerful magic, but then I began to fear the book would be damaged, so I..." the wizard stopped when he seemed to remember something important. "Now, just a moment, Leon and the others need to hear this too. I-I better go find them. Be back in a jiffy." He said and vanished in a cloud of magical smoke.

"I wonder how Pooh and the others are doing?" Sora said, looking at the book.

"Wanna find out?" Donald grinned at Sora who nodded ecstatically. Donald opened the book eagerly and Goofy opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it because he knew no one would listen.

"Cover for me, okay?" he turned to you all and then vanished inside the book with a yellow glow that emitted from the book.

"Is he gonna be alright?" you asked, amazed at the event that just occurred. It wasn't everyday that you see people vanish inside books.

"Yep, don't worry." Goofy assured with a smile.

"Heartless!" Donald shouted, pointing to the team of Heartless that stood outside the doorway. He placed the book on a wooden desk and charged at the Heartless outside.

*_Nice time to disappear on us like that…_*you thought as you headed outside.

**~*~*~*~**

Sora was walking down the Hundred Acre Wood's trail, as memories hit him and made him feel nostalgic. The same sunny weather, the same cheery atmosphere….and the same old yellow bear that he came to know so well. He spotted Pooh sitting on his thinking log, and rushed to him with a grin on his face. The bear looked up to see who it was and a similar smile lit up his face as he saw Sora.

"Hey, Pooh bear! How're you doing? Finding enough honey lately?" Sora grinned at the short little bear.

"Oh, yes." Pooh answered cheerily. "In fact, I was just about to do my stoutness exercises. Would you like to join me Sora?"

"Sure, I'm game!" Sora answered back, and just as Pooh started to jump off the log, he froze in midair.

"Huh?" Sora mumbled, and just as he leaned forward to investigate, a flash of light forced him out of the book and caused him to land on his back. The book closed by itself on the brown desk, and Sora heard a commotion outside.

"Sora! Hurry up!" Donald voice called him urgently outside. Sora raced outside to see you, Goofy and Donald fighting a team of Heartless. They were pretty easy Heartless, but the numbers seemed to overwhelm you all as they kept multiplying. It looked like they were determined to get something and you all were trying equally hard to stop them get…whatever they were wanting.

"Didja bring the book, Sora?" Goofy asked in the middle of fighting. Sora widened his eyes and looks back at the headquarters. Heartless were running out of it, carrying the book.

"Give that back!" you shouted at them, turning your attention to them. Quickly, your team finished them off and the book fell, a little more ragged than before. You noticed that it was clawed here and there and it seemed that pages were torn out of it.

"Think its okay?" Sora asked, holding up the book carefully.

"Gawrsh, maybe ya better go " back and make sure Pooh's all right," Goofy suggested.

"But what about Merlin?" you reminded.

"Well, I guess we could explain..." Donald suggested casually, like nothing could go wrong.

"Great!" Sora instantly agreed with the plan. He handed to book to Donald again and Donald repeated the process. A yellow light sucked Sora into the pages and he disappeared again.

**~*~*~*~**

"Pooh!" Sora shouted as he ran towards his house again. Pooh was still sitting on the thinking log in the same position when Sora met him before.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Pooh." Sora said, relieved as he looked the little bear. Pooh looked up at him inquisitively.

"And I'm glad you came to visit. But you see, I was just about to begin my stoutness exercise. Perhaps we could visit a bit later..." he paused, like he was trying to remember Sora's name. When Pooh couldn't think of anything, he finally concluded with, "Somebody-I-Don't-Know."

"Oh..." Sora said disappointedly. "Sure."

Sora thought of something to say as he watched Pooh stretch his arms from side to side. When he finally thought of something, he crouched down and asked, "So... how's Piglet these days?"

"I don't think I know anyone by that name," Pooh replied as Sora widened his eyes in surprise. Piglet was Pooh's best friend, and yet he was telling him now that he didn't know any Piglet. Sora furrowed his brows in confusion as the bear continued, "Now where was I? Oh, yes. My stoutness exercises."

"Pooh?" Sora tried to remind the bear who he was and who Piglet was, but Pooh ignored him. "Hey! Pooh?!"

The small bear continued to ignore Sora as he straightened up and thought about what to do next. "Something very weird is happening here. Maybe I better go back and ask Merlin about this..."Sora thought out loud.

**~*~*~*~**

"About time you're back." You mentioned when you saw the brunette pop back out of the book in a yellow light.

"So, what happened?" Goofy asked Sora. "Everything okay?"

Sora shook his head with a frown and told them, "No, Pooh's forgotten everything about me and his other friends too." Sora looked around and then asked, "Where's Merlin?"

"He just left. He looked at the book and told us this sort of thing was gonna happen. I guess we just have to search for those pages again." Donald replied. Sora groaned; finding those pages once was hard enough and to search all the worlds to try and find them again would be even tougher.

"He gave you this though." You tossed a blue charm that Merlin told you to keep safe for Sora.

"He says it'll help you get a new form called Wisdom Form that occurs when ya merge with Donald." Goofy explained.

"Nice." Sora said, attaching the little blue charm to his belt.

"So, what now?" Donald said.

"We go, I guess." Sora shrugged, a little sad that his friend forgot all about him. Goofy nodded in agreement.

"How about we look around and enjoy this town for a while? I mean, we've been fighting Heartless for a while and think we deserve a break." You turned to Sora and added, "It'll cheer ya up, too." Sora smiled warmly at you, touched that you cared about him.

"Sounds like a good idea." Goofy nodded.

"Yeah, we haven't even seen the new Hallow Bastion yet." Donald agreed.

"Great, then let's go!" you cheered and headed outside without another word. You were excited to look around the marketplace here; it reminded you of busy day on Marketstreet in Twilight Town. The whole market place was crowded with busy vendors of customers and you didn't know where to start.

"Hey, wait up!" you turned to see Sora weaving through the crowds to reach you.

"Hurry up then, slowpoke!" you grinned, putting your hands on your hips. "So, where should we go first?" you asked when he finally caught up to you. Suddenly, a big, brightly colored jewelry shop caught your eye and you wandered off before he could reply.

"I think we should wait for…" Sora stopped when realized no one was listening. He sighed and craned his neck as his bright blue eyes searched for you.

_*This girl…_* he though, a little annoyed until he found you at the jewelry shop, looking at some earrings through the glass windows.

"Hey, Sora! Look at these!" you pointed at a pair of silver dangling earrings that sparkled in the sunlight. "Do you think those will look good on me?"

"Dunno. Maybe..." Sora shrugged. He thought you always looked nice, with or without earrings…though he probably wouldn't admit it aloud. He grinned mischievously and added, "…Not" You rolled your eyes at him, though a tiny smile curved your lips. You eyed the price tag in front of it and your tiny smile turned into a big frown.

"It's 150 munny…" you muttered disappointedly and backed away from the glass display; you only had fifty munny at hand. Sora looked at your expression and rummaged through his pockets and caught something. He brought out his closed palm but your hand stopped him. A gentle smile crept up on his face that filled up his cheeks with color.

"You don't have to do that." You insisted immediately, knowing that you that wouldn't be able to pay him back later on.

"No problem. Think of it like a gift." He waved off casually, with a cocky grin. A warm feeling filled you up as you smiled gently at Sora, touched that he was offering to pay for the earrings. Sora noticed your smile and quickly looked down and opened his palms to reveal…

"50 munny? That's all I have?" Sora mumbled disappointedly.

"I-It's okay." You waved off, turning red from embarrassment. You didn't want him to be troubled because of it and looked for something else that would capture the both of your attention. "They weren't all that great anyway. Let's look around."

"Fine, but let's stick together." Sora nodded, thinking that they could search for Donald and Goofy while they were looking at stores.

"Okay, _mother_." You grinned at him.

"Whatever." Sora said but his mouth also curved into a smile. Sora, looking at you intently, wondered how he could have ever related you to Kairi. He thought that you were _very_ different from Kairi…and he liked you just the way you were. Both of you took your time looking around at the shops, enjoying the sights—there were entertainers and street vendors around every corner and both you and Sora had fun looking around…even though it made you homesick.

Each time you looked around, you thought of Twilight Town's Marketstreet and how you would go around shopping with Olette. Every time you looked at the vendors, you expected to see familiar faces from the vendors you knew. And every time you looked at Sora, you saw a part of Roxas in him; it wasn't just the looks, it was his contagious laugh and his cocky I-Know-It-All smile that reminded you of him…and it was his warmth. When Sora offered to pay for the earrings, he gave you a warm, sincere smile that reminded you clearly of Roxas when the two of you were together. Thinking about your past memories with your friends, you felt a lump in your throat that prevented you from speaking and you tried to divert your mind.

"Hey, look at that." Sora pointed to a huge brightly colored costume shop that had all sorts of interesting displays hung over it.

"Let's check it out." You said, immediately interested in the shop mainly because you wanted to forget about Twilight Town.

The two of you walked into the shop, first heading to mask display. There were many masks that interested you—happy ones, sad ones, pretty ones, ugly ones…

You picked out a particularly scary one; it had large yellow fangs that stuck out of its big and unsightly mouth. To you, it looked like a very ugly version of a demon and you tried it on eagerly, for fun. You turned to Sora, but instead of seeing him, you saw…a _devil_ staring back at you, with his horns sticking out of it head and tongue hanging out of his evil mouth. You screamed and, surprisingly, the devil screamed along with you. You became surprised and lost your balance, which cause you to fall backwards and land flat on your behind. You stared at the face of the monster for five full seconds, until it started laughing.

"It's just me." Sora took off his mask and you took of yours, both you wearing a grin on your face.

"You scared me!" you accused with a smile, getting up.

"We scared each other." Sora corrected with a chuckle. You joined in the chuckle, which made Sora laugh even harder and the both of you started cracking up so hard that it earned weird glances from others nearby.

"We should really get these." You chuckled and looked at the price tag. The masks were fifty munny, and you debated whether it was worth it or not. They were a nice souvenir and could be of use later on, and you decided that they were a good buy.

"Let's go, then." Sora said finally and the two of you made your purchases and walked outside.

"Hey, wait a sec." Sora stopped in his tracks, peering down inside the bag that held the masks. "Did we get another mask for free?"

"No, I don't think so…" you said, looking in the bag. There were only two masks in there and you looked back at him, confused.

"Oh…you seem to be wearing one right now, that's why." Sora teased, poking your cheek.

"**Hey!**" you shouted as you tried to hit Sora, as revenge. Sora missed the playful attack and raced ahead, leaving you to chase him. It was much easier to get around crowds now, as the day was ending and people wanted to head back home before night, so they won't have to encounter stray Heartless.

"Who's the slowpoke _now_?" Sora called over his shoulder. That quick glance caused him to trip and fall and you caught up to him easily.

"You're _still_ the slowpoke." You sniggered, helping him up. His blue eyes were shining from laughter and excitement and it reminded you so much…so much of him. Sora, on the other hand, smiled tenderly at you, a sincere smile that was filled with affection…a smile that you missed as you looked up, hearing someone calling you two.

"Sora! Reina! There ya guys are!" a familiar voice said. Goofy and Donald were approaching you two, with ice creams in hand. It looked like they also had fun exploring Hallow Bastion, judging by their content expressions.

"C'mon, we have to go now! Hurry up!" Donald added, turning his back toward them and heading to the Gummi Ship, along with Goofy.

"Kay, we'll be right there." You shouted back, wanting to walk along with Sora. Sora noted this and smiled softly to himself, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting. He was sad that the day was ending. Even though it pretty much sucked at first, Sora actually liked the day overall…

…mostly because he was able to spend it all with you.

_**!Author's Note!**_

Big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for being a great beta! And to justpink for giving me some ideas and support for this chapter! Thank you guys! ^.^

This chapter didn't turn out how I really wanted it to. There was a bunch of things that I wanted to add in this chapter, but then the chapter would've been super long, and it's already long as it is =p I liked how some parts turned out, though I felt that I skimmed through some parts.

So, what did you guys think about the chapter? What did you think about the SoraxReina parts? Your thoughts about the Nobodies' plan? I would love to know what you all think, so please let me know! ^.^

~narcotic-lullaby


	10. Weather Changes

_When the dream started, I heard the sounds of the wind whispering through my ears and waves crashing gently against the shore. When I opened my eyes, a bright vivid scene of a beach appeared before me, and I started to feel like I've seen this before…like I've been here before. I guessed this was the beach at Twilight Town. Soft waves tickled my young feet as I stood, waiting for someone. _

"_Hey, Reina! Wait up!" a voice called me, and I turned to see a young Roxas, rushing over to me._

"_Finally, I thought you weren't coming, Roxas!" I complained, grinning at the blond, who was panting. _

"_Sorry I was a little late…" he apologized._

"_A little?! You made me wait here for an hour!" _

"_Sorry…so where is he anyway?" _

"_Who?" I heard myself ask, "Oh! Are you talking about Rapunzel?" I had a teasing air in my voice and me and Roxas laughed._

"_Hey, I heard that, ya'know!" another guy's voice shouted. _

_I turned to see a taller, older guy with longer, spiky hair…no wonder we all called him Rapunzel. As soon as I laid eyes on him though, my vision blurred and felt the dream washing me away from the scene, just like the waves on the beach…_

**~*~*~*~**

Your eyes fluttered open and it took a while to get adjusted to the new light. Rubbing your eyes, you got up and stretched, thinking about the dream.

What does it all mean?

At first, you just it was another dream, just another memory. But now, the dream and the way you felt for it caused you change your mind. The dream made your heart feel...complete. As if your heart found something that was lost, or as if your heart was cleared of something. Whatever it was, it made you feel happy that you get a chance to see Roxas again, especially when both of you were in childhood days. As you sat up, you saw Donald and Goofy, up and ready to start their day. Naturally, Sora wasn't in sight, and he was probably still sleeping. Lazy.

"Hey guys!" you greeted happily.

They both returned your cheerful greeting and you went over to the bathroom, to get ready for the new day. You had a cheerful outlook on today, especially since you got the hang of fighting Heartless recently. As you exited the bathroom, you felt a weird rumble and you raced to the Front, eager to see what new world you landed at.

"Welcome to Olympus—" a squeaky voice started, but was cut off by another saying, "Dale are you sure we landed on the right spot?"

Chip was right; as you looked out the huge glass dome, you saw that you all were in a dark, eerie cave that didn't match Sora's description of it.

You smiled at yourself as you remember what Sora said --well_, bragged_ more like-- about this world: '_It_ _was a huge arena-like thing…that's where we became _real_ heroes….I can't wait to show you!..._' But as you looked up, you didn't see a trace of an arena, just a really haunting cave that gave you goose bumps.

"I'm sure, Chip!" Dale reassured.

"Alright, alright…" Chip said and then they both cheered, "Welcome to Olympus Coliseum!"

You turned to the giant plasma screen that served as a map and radar. Sure enough, the little rocket that marked your progress was over a little sphere labeled '_Olympus Coliseum'_. You studied the map, a smile lighting up your face as you relieved memories of all your previous worlds.

Hollow Bastion…Beast's Castle…Land of the Dragons…even Yen Sid's tower was labeled here. But as you studied the map twice a huge frown fell on your face.

"Hey, Chip, Dale." You called the chipmunks' attentions, who were no doubt talking about the Ship. "Where's Twilight Town on this?"

"Oh, it disappeared mysteriously, remember?" Chip said matter-of-factly. Your eyes widened in shock and you felt like an icicle hit your heart.

"Wh-_what_?! When?" you demanded.

"A long time ago. Didn't the others tell you?" Dale replied and you shook your head silently, looking down.

Your eyes were full of hurt and sadness, anger and betrayal hung over like a raining cloud over you, covering your cheery outlook of today. The same question rang in your head over again and again: *_Why didn't they tell me?_*

Each time you thought about it, you felt more and more angry. How could they hide the fact that your home world just vanished into thin air? They were _supposed_ to be your friends. As you walked out of the Front as if you had weights attached to your feet, a hundred different scenarios popped in your head, explaining why they didn't tell you Twilight Town disappeared.

*_Maybe they forgot? Yeah, maybe they were too wrapped up in Heartless business that they forgot…But how can one forget something like this…?! They just didn't tell me… why?_*

Sora looked up from his scrambled eggs when he heard you approaching and his eyes brightened. "Good morning R--!" he started cheerily but he stopped when caught your expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing….just a little _homesick_." You muttered.

Sora gave you a tender smile, but that didn't improve your mood at all. "Oh, don't worry about that. We'll visit your world sometimes soon. So cheer up!" Sora waved off.

You shook your head angrily and turned to Sora with a glare. Remembering what happened to Twilight Town, Goofy decided to break the news to you about what happened to it…only that he was too late.

"How can we _visit_ Twilight Town if it's not **there** anymore?!" you said acidly, causing Goofy to be frozen with mouth hanging open and Sora and Donald to have '**Oh crap**! She _knows_!' expressions on their faces.

"I can't believe you guys didn't tell me that it disappeared!"

"Well we thought that you were already—" Sora started but was cut off by Donald.

"We? It was all your idea, mister, _I_ wanted to tell her!" Donald said, not making the situation any easier on Sora, who flushed and continued.

"Well, remember the first time we visited Hallow Bastion? That's the same time it happened. And we met that weird Organization member that day so _I" _Sora glared at Donald, " that you were already confused with that and to tell you that Twilight Town disappeared would just make you more confused."

Your anger tuned down a little bit; actually, you were a little touched that he was thinking of your feelings. Your mind reeled back to your first visit of Hallow Bastion, and you suddenly remembered. Donald was trying to tell you something about 'Twilight' but Sora clamped his beak shut and said something about reaching the next world before twilight.

*_So he was lying to me?_* One side of mind you said and the other went, *_Yeah, but he was lying to protect my feelings. Which is kinda cute, actually…_*

"But then why didn't you tell me later?" you asked, some of your anger rising back. You turned to Donald and Goofy, "You guys too! Not one of you told me that news, even after so many days."

All the guys looked at each other sheepishly, not knowing how to respond; they were all shooting guilty glances at each other.

"I guess we forgot…?" Donald said in a hopeful way.

"Sorry, Reina." Goofy added and that seemed to make your anger vanish. Goofy's apology cleared the cloud that hung over your head and your mood lightened a bit.

"It's okay, Goofy." You said with a small smile.

"Sorry Reina!" Sora and Donald chimed, seeing how it easy it was to be forgiven. You rolled your eyes. So _now_ it occurs to them to apologize.

"It's alright." You waved off, only this you had no smile. You sat down and started on breakfast, still a little angry, but you hoped that you would cool down over time. Donald let out a relieved breath and went back to normal as if nothing happened but Sora noted that you didn't smile. He was used to you being happy, but to see you still a little mad at them all made him feel like he still wasn't forgiven.

Besides, he really liked seeing your smile…

**~*~*~*~**

"Are you sure this is it?" you asked Sora, shivering.

The cave felt like it had a lot of darkness hung around it and its looks added to your thought. It was huge and every step you took seemed to make an eerie echo that seemed to hang in the strange air.

"It's that way!" Donald pointed to a golden staircase that led up to an open door that seemed to be pouring with light and sunshine.

"I guess we were a little off." Sora said with a smile, hoping that you would smile too.

But you weren't looking at him; you were paying attention to the golden staircase. Sora frowned.

*_And you'd think this place would learn a lesson from up there_.*you thought, looking at the bright and open door. As soon as you turned to it, a woman's shout was heard. A woman was running away from a pack of Rabid Dog Heartless, which seemed to be gaining on her.

"Heartless!" Goofy cried and you all rushed to her aid.

As soon as the Heartless caught sight of you, they ran away. The woman was dressed in an elegant purple robe and her curly auburn hair was tied up into a bushy ponytail. Sora offered his hand toward her but she shook it off.

"No thanks, I'm fine." She said, dusting herself off. She eyed your group and raised an eye brow inquisitively. "And _you're_ supposed to be?"

"I'm Sora, this is Reina, he's Donald and that's Goofy." Sora pointed to all the members of the group. "We came to see how Hercules was doing."

The woman's eyes instantly brightened with interest. "You know Wonderboy?"

"Yeah, cause we're heroes too!" Donald said proudly.

"_Junior_ heroes, Donald." Goofy reminded Donald, who gave him an annoyed glare.

So they aren't even real heroes, as Sora led you to believe. Sora glared alongside Donald and then turned to you, with a guilty expression, but you turned your face away from him, a stony expression on your face. The raining cloud moved from above your head to over Sora's.

"Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara." She smiled at you all, feeling a lot more comfortable with you guys now. "My friends call me Meg."

"So, how's Hercules doin'?" Goofy asked.

"Well, he's always duking it out at the Coliseum. Says 'a hero's work is never done' and everything," Meg quoted with a heavy sigh. "I'm just worried about him. Even Wonderboy has his limits. The opponents are bad news too - special deliveries from Hades himself."

"_**Hades?!**_" all the boys cried in unison.

Megara nodded gravely. "Exactly. The Lord of the Underworld. I wanted to talk to him and tell him to give Wonderboy a breather every once in a while. If anything ever happened to that kid…" Megara trailed off, a worried expression on her face.

"You like him, don't ya?" you said, making her purple eyes go wide. It was kinda obvious; anybody going to a place like _this _for another person should _really _like each other.

"No, of course not!" she said in a threatening way, as if warning you not to repeat it ever again. "We're just friends, got it?"

"Gawrsh, sounds like you're more than friends!" Goofy smiled, which made Meg blush slightly.

"We'll talk to him for you." Sora assured, making Megara sigh in relief. "I don't want anything happening to Herc or you when you talk to Hades."

"Thanks. But let's keep this whole Chat-With-Hades thing a secret, okay?" Megara said gratefully.

"You can count on us!" Sora smiled, thumping his fist on his chest.

You had a weird feeling in your stomach, as if something wrong was _bound _to happen. You all headed out through a large, open door that seemed to be emitting fog. You stayed close to your friends, more scared then you were when you all first visited Beast's Castle, even though you didn't want to show it.

**~*~*~*~ **

The Underworld was worse than you imagined: fog covering most of the creepy, twisted paths that seemed to lead to nowhere, random boulders falling down, as if threatening to hurt you if you don't leave and most of all, those lost, poor souls wandering here and there.

It was quiet like that, until you saw a person dressed in black, running frantically.

"The Organization!" you nodded to the person, who was charging straight at your group now.

"Run! Run away!" he shouted as he created a dark portal and disappeared inside of it, making your group to stare at the place where he disappeared as if you all never seen something like that before.

"Okay…" Sora called into the silence, tilting his head with confusion.

"Let's just go…" Donald decided, and you all kept on moving, the same grim feeling creeping back.

You noticed that there were more souls wandering around here, which made you feel a little uneasy. You wondered who they belonged to—lost lovers…forgotten friends…broken families…

The thought sent another chill up your spine, and nobody seemed to talk or laugh; the same thought of death seemed to go about everyone's mind. It seemed like someone pressed a mute button on your group, and it stayed that way for a while, as you all passed through the Underworld quietly.

Then you heard _it._

"_Reina…_" a ghostly voice whispered through the air, making you freeze in fear.

"D-did someone call me?" you turned to your group, who responded with silently by shaking their heads.

*_Just my imagination…_* you thought, looking around with fear.

"_Reina…._" The voice whispered again, but louder this time, which made the rest of the group aware of what was scaring you.

"Who's t-there?" your voice was shaky and it seemed like that your throat was dry as a desert.

"_It's me…_" one of the souls stopped in front of you, and started to take the shape of a man that was taller than you. The soul extended one of his arms, and his hand his cold, transparent was inches away from you, wanting to take you…. "_It's me…don't you remember?_"

You did what any normal person would do in this situation and screamed your heart out. Just when the ghost's features were about materialize, Sora waved it off with his Keyblade, and the soul wandered off and you stood there, trembling and wide-eyed with fear and confusion.

"It's okay…it's gone…" Sora comforted, awkwardly holding you close. You _hoped_ he was right; so far, you've found out that Twilight Town disappeared, that Sora lied to you about being real heroes, and now _this_…

"What…was _that_!?" Donald exclaimed after a long pause..

"I think that some soul of the Underworld recognized Reina." Goofy rationalized. He turned to you and softly asked, "Reina…do you know anyone that's…dead?"

"No." you replied, without hesitation. You started thinking about _why_ that soul said it recognized you.

*_Maybe this is why that Organization XIII guy was running away…maybe that's just what the souls here do…yeah, that's it._* you convinced yourself and that kept ringing in your mind, making you feel better. And being with Sora and your friends helped strengthen you and make you feel like that if anything went wrong again, they'll be there for you.

"Thanks, Sora." You muttered, straightening up and composing yourself. "Let's just move on, guys…I think it's just some stupid trick that these things do."

"Yeah, I thought so too. Don't worry about it." Sora said with a brave smile, hoping you would catch on too, but you still had a weird feeling in your stomach that had you _far _from smiling. You nodded at him, and walked on with the others in silence.

Soon enough, you all reached a silent cave-like area with large stone bridges and paths that led up to a large, ominous tower that loomed at you all. Beneath you all was a large pool of green fog that gave an illusion that there was a bottom to the endless pit.

"I'm scared too, Donald." Goofy assured the terrified duck, who stared wide-eyed at the green pit.

You were equally scared; staying close to your friends was the only thing that kept you from turning around and heading back out like a coward. Halfway through the trek, you felt a light pressure and you seized up in fear that it was one of those weird souls again. You heard chuckling.

"Why do you do that?" It was Sora.

"Do what?" you asked, annoyed.

"You know, freeze up when you're scared like that." Sora laughed. "Kinda reminds me of a squirrel or something."

"**Hey**!" you turned to him annoyed, but something inside of made you want to smile.

"You're right, I shouldn't insult squirrels like that." He joked, and you turned away angrily.

Sora frowned, "Aw, c'mon brighten up, will ya? I haven't seen you smile all day."

"There's nothing to brighten up about." You muttered, thinking back at your day.

"Well, at least you have us!" Sora smiled cockily.

"I'm not sure if that's an upside." You smirked, feeling a little bit better.

"Anyways, is it just me or this thing is really hard to walk on?" Sora asked everyone, ignoring your comment with a slight smile.

You realized then that Sora would be one person that would make you feel better even if you're feeling _really_ down. And that made you value him very much in your heart.

**~*~*~*~**

"Where do they dig theses freaks up? Geeze Louise…" the Lord of the Underworld scoffed.

"Oh, they're nuttin' but trouble, the whole lot of them." Pete agreed with Hades. "So, uh….what're you gonna do about Hercules? He's made mince meat out of every fighter you sent at him. Heh…pretty soon, the Underworld's gonna be standing room only."

Hades rolled his eyes idly, getting annoyed with Pete. Seriously, won't he just shut up!? Then, _finally_, Pete said some words that had worth to him. "Say, why don't you just pick someone dead and save him the trouble?"

Abruptly, Hades stood up and glared at Pete. Then an evil smile crept up his face as he said, "Dead…? Dead is good! And I know just the warrior."

Hades walked over to the center of the room to a closed up hole that opened as he waved his long blue arm above it. The gap opened up to reveal a pit of swirling green, black and white matter that was swirling around in hypnotic circles.

"What's that?" Pete asked hesitantly, looking down at the pit as if some monster was going to pop out of it.

"Just the Underworld's deepest dungeon." Hades replied casually, as it was nothing out of the ordinary. "_This_ time I'm bringing out the **mother** of all bad guys!"

Noting Hades' casual tone, Pete sensed something dangerous was about to happen and back away slowly. "Y-you don't say…well, maybe I-I should leave." Pete stuttered as he started inching towards the exit, but, before he could even turn around, a figure rose from the pit.

Pete let out a relieved sigh to see that was just another man. Well, not just _any_ old man. This guy had a tough aura around him, and the scar across his face enhanced this thought. He also carried a usually large blade that was attached to a thick belt on his long red robe that concealed one of his arms.

"Let's cut to the chase. Here's the deal I'm going to offer you. I let you out of the slammer—no strings attached— and you'll be free as a bird. And all for one little job." Hades grinned sinisterly, thinking that this plan, out of the millions he tried, couldn't go wrong. "Fight Hercules, in the Coliseum….**to the death**!"

The man sneered and said, "This is _my_ story. And you're not part of it.."

"Did you _forget_ who you're **talking to**?!" Hades yelled, outraged and angry. "I am the **Lord** of the **Dead**!"

The man smirked and chuckled sarcastically. "No wonder no one wants to die."

That line made Hades turn red with fury. "**You are fired**!" He tried to attack the man, who blocked the attack with a swift blocking action with his sword.

At that moment, you and the group showed up, not expecting to see fighting and what was going on at the moment.

"Hades!" Donald shouted for his attention. Hades took notice of you all and his eyes widened with surprise.

"You again?!" he yelled.

"Fight!" a man commanded, and you all obeyed, taking out all your weapons. At the time, nobody actually felt like fighting; everyone felt tired and a little drained out. To add, every time one of you tried to take a hit or use magic against Hades, it seemed as if an invincible protective barrier shielded him.

*_There's __**another**__ one of those key things?!_* Hades thought in surprise, looking at your Heartseeker.

"Something's wrong…" Sora muttered, slowing down on his attacks.

"I feel kinda funny…" you agreed. There was a funny feeling inside your stomach and you felt like there was a parasite inside you, draining energy out of you.

"That's right!" Hades said with a satisfied laugh. "See, that's the thing. In the Underworld, heroes are zeroes. Comes with the territory." Hades explained as he started summoning fireballs to throw at you guys.

Surprisingly, the man who was helping you all fight blocked the fireball that Hades directed at you. "We can't fight him here! We have to go…**now!**" he added, looking at Sora's reluctance to leave.

"But I've got to talk to Hades!" Sora insisted.

You reached out for Sora's hand and tugged. That little motion caused Sora's heart to beat a little faster—even amid the turmoil.

"What was that?" Hades said, plugging his fingers into his ears.

"Let's just get outta here; we can talk to him later. Please?" you pleaded, tugging on his hand again.

"Fine, let's go."Sora nodded, feeling weird in his stomach again. The group, along with the other guy, raced out of Hades' room and you and Sora shut the doors, _trying_ to prevent Hades for following you all.

"Is he gone?" Donald panted.

"Don't count on it." The new guy growled, glaring to what was next to you. You turned to see what he was looking and jumped a little to see that Hades just _poofed_ out of nowhere and stood beside you.

"Leaving so soon? I thought you had better manners than _that_, Key boy." Hades laughed evilly and turned his round, sunken eyes to you. His smirk widened as he said, "Aren't you gonna introduce me to your little friend here?"

Before you could react, Hades reached out his long blue hand and cupped your chin, forcing you to look up at him…His grip was tight, preventing you from trying to slip away.

"**Get away from her!**" Sora roared, pulling you away from Hades. It seemed as if someone lighted a fire in his eyes; he had a protective stance, as if he were guarding something precious. Hades' eyes glittered with amusement.

"Sorry...I didn't know that that was your _girlfriend_ there, Key boy." Hades said with a smirk.

"I'm **not **his girlfriend!" You shouted with more anger then you wanted to, you were still sore from Hades' grasp. Sora winced a little at this outburst but said nothing.

"Let's get outta here!" Goofy exclaimed, diverting everyone's attention to the exit. Everyone, except for Sora, that is.

*…_**Not**__ his girlfriend!_* What you said ringed in his and he hated it. Of course you weren't his girlfriend. They were just friends.

Then why was it bothering him so much?

Maybe it was the way you said it….with so much anger, as if being his girlfriend was never a possibility and that you were revolted by the idea. Or maybe it was just the Underworld curse getting to him. Sora hoped it was the curse.

Eventually you all made it out of Hades' area to a quiet place that you all used to rest in. Everyone was panting, obviously worn out. The only guy who still seemed fit was the old guy, and you were curious about him.

"You're really good." You said, addressing him. The man turned around to face you and you went on, "Are you some kinda hero or something?"

"No, I'm not a hero, I'm just an…" the guy broke off, instead said, "Auron."

"Huh?" you tilted your head, not sure of what an 'Auron' was. You took a meaningful glance and Sora, who shook his head and shrugged, meaning that he had no clue either.

"My name." he explained and everyone's expressions cleared.

"I'm Reina." You said with a friendly smile.

"Sora." The brunette greeted with one of his bright grins. Then, Donald jumped on Sora's back and said, "Donald!" To add to the surprise weight, Goofy jumped on Donald and waved, "And I'm Goofy!" Sora, who was unable to take this weight, collapsed, making the tower fall into a heap. You chuckled a little as the guys got up dizzily, glaring at each other.

"It seems that we were fated to meet." Auron said, skillfully concealing a smile. "Maybe you need a guardian."

"Guardian?! Thanks but no thanks." You said immediately, crossing your arms.

"Yeah, 'cause she already has one!" Sora smiled, resting his arm on your shoulder. You moved around causing Sora to crash to the ground again.

"Where?" you asked, pretending to look around as if you were searching for something.

"I was talking about me!" Sora said, getting up and pointing to himself.

You chuckled. "Well, no thanks. I don't need a guardian." You said summoning your Heartseeker to prove your point.

Then as if wanting to prove you wrong, a bunch of Heartless showed up. The Heartless were cartoon-like ghosts, not like the one you encountered before. Trying to defeat them was tough, especially because of the Underworld curse, but you all managed to get through them, and after wandering around the Underworld for what seemed like hours, you all finally reached the entrance of the Underworld.

"What?! It's closed!" Donald exclaimed, trying to move the heavy stone door. Sora and Goofy tried to help, but they too couldn't budge the door open. You, instead, studied the door and found a thick lock around two even heavier looking chains.

"Hey, it's locked, guys." You pointed to the heavy lock. Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hands.

"Will that open it?" Auron asked, jerking his chin toward the Keyblade.

"I think so." Sora said, and pointed to the Keyblade towards the black lock. Instantly, a beam of light shot out from the Keyblade and into the keyhole of the lock. There the sound of a lock opening and the chains and lock vanished.

"It's worked!" Goofy cheered and you let out a breath of relief.

You were extremely happy that you were going to ditch this place. As you all were leaving the Underworld, the ground started shaking, reminding you of the avalanche in the Land of the Dragons. But wasn't an avalanche and the cause of the earthquake appeared. You felt yourself stiffen as you saw that it was a fierce _three-headed _dog, with each head having the same glowing red eyes and sharp fangs.

You felt yourself being dragged out Sora, who, along with everyone else, headed to the exit. Auron, meanwhile, stuck his huge sword into one of Cerberus' mouth, preventing it from going any further.

"Hurry!" he shouted at you four and Sora looked back at him and you knew what he was about to do.

"Sora, wait!" you shouted, following him to where Auron was fighting Cerberus.

As soon as you crossed the exit again, a large barrier prevented Donald and Goofy from following.

Just like when you were fighting the Dark Thorn Heartless, you hesitated to get close to Cerberus and most of the time you dodged his attacks and Cured others.

*_This is too tough_* you thought desperately, trying to think of some way to get rid of it before the door closed. Then, it hit you. It was so simple…after all, it was just a dog.

"Hey, stupid dog! Over here!" you waved for its attention.

Cerberus took notice of this and tried to use its paw to attack you, but you just used it to launch yourself on its back. Once there, you hit the heads of the dog until it was perfectly annoyed. When you accomplished that, you threw the Heartseeker away from the exit, and being the dog it was, Cerberus followed it, thinking that you were along with it.

"Let's get outta here!" you shouted, jumping off of Cerberus's back and running towards the exit along with Sora and Auron.

When the dog realized that it you weren't with the Heartseeker, it tried to follow your group but it was too late. You were all outside and safe and Sora, Donald and Goofy made funny faces at them as you summoned the Heartseeker in your hands and waved it mockingly at Cerberus.

"That was really good!" Goofy complemented, which made you flush with satisfaction.

"Thanks!" you said with a beaming smile.

"Good thing you were there, too…that thing was pretty tough." Sora panted, exhausted from fighting with the Underworld curse.

"Well, I couldn't just leave my sidekick with that dog. Who _know_s what would happen without my help." You smirked.

"Hey, I could've taken that thing on my own! It's just that I was too busy guarding _you_ from it that I got tired." Sora bragged.

He could have gone on, but Sora just realized something that melted his heart. He thought of you, the girl who would freeze in fear all the time, and how the same girl ran to something she was scared…for him. The warmth of this thought contented him and lit a soft smile on his face.

"I don't need a guardian." You repeated, and opened your mouth to add more, but Goofy cut you off with something no one realized before.

"Hey, where's Auron?" Goofy asked aloud, looking around.

"Maybe he went ahead of us." Donald said when everyone couldn't find the man in red.

"I guess so." Sora shrugged.

"C'mon, hurry up! I wanna see the Olympus Coliseum!" you said from the golden staircase.

"Race you." Sora said, speeding up ahead of you.

"No fair, you had a head start!" you grinned, trying to catch up to him. It wasn't long until you all reached the sunny, more inviting Olympus Coliseum.

There was everything you imagined it to be; huge statues of fierce warriors guarding a large stone building that looked like it held the arena. As your eyes searched the beautiful place, your eyes caught the very thing that made going to the Underworld worth every step.

It was Roxas.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Thanks XRarityofTearsX for being such a great beta! ^.^

Wow, this chapter is _wayyy_ shorter than I thought it would be though I think I kinda skimmed it just so I could get to the next chapter xp I sorta-kinda liked this chapter, even though I don't think it's my best. I'm actually excited for the next one though, that's where some drama starts… It'll be really fun writing it =D

Anyway, please tell me your thoughts and ideas about this chapter and how I could improve it, I'd really appreciate it ^.^

~narcotic-lullaby

p.s Happy Birthday, XRarityofTearsX xD


	11. Keeping Your Word

*_Roxas!_ *your mind screamed with happiness. There he was, hiding behind the golden leg of the huge statue in front of the arena at Olympus Coliseum. He beckoned you over but as he caught sight of your other friends, he hid again.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Sora asked all of a sudden.

"Uh…N-nothing…just looking around." You assured him with a smile, which made him return it with one of his own. You took a risk and looked back at where Roxas was, and you saw that his head was sticking out from behind the leg again, though cautiously this time.

He pointed to the others and mouthed, "_Don't bring them_." You looked quickly back at Sora and the others to make sure they weren't paying attention before looking back.

You frowned and mouthed back, "_Why not?_"

"_Please…?_" Roxas clenched his hands together in a pleading movement. You sighed and nodded.

"_One minute, though_" you mouthed and Donald looked at you with his eyebrow raised. He looked to where you were looking and barely caught Roxas disappearing back behind the statue.

"Who're you talking to?" Donald asked suspiciously.

"Me? Uh…no one. Why would you think that?" you lied, avoiding Donald's eyes.

"I saw someone over there…" Donald said, pointing to where Roxas stood.

"Um…the Underworld curse must've got ya, Donald. I don't see anybody there." You assured with a nervous chuckle, still avoiding Donald's suspicious gaze. Thankfully, at that moment the stone doors of the building opened and revealed a tired, but well built, young man whose eyes lit up as they caught sight of your group.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy! When did you get here?" the man smiled as he approached your group. Sora and the others greeted him and Hercules turned to you.

"And who's this?" he asked kindly.

"I'm Reina. Nice to meet you." You greeted cheerily.

"Name's Hercules. Nice to meet you too." He smiled. "So, on another adventure?"

"Yeah, trackin' down some friends, wiping out some Heartless." Sora said casually, as if it wasn't anything new.

"Junior heroes, always busy!" Hercules said and gave Sora a high-five.

"Anyways, I want you guys to meet someone. Follow me." Hercules said brightly, not aware that you all have met this '_someone_' before. You all followed him into the building, where it was lit brightly by four torches. Between the torches was a self inside the wall, which held trophies of Sora and the others' past achievements.

Hercules re-introduced you all to Meg, pointing at the person whose name he mentioned. "Meg, I'd like you to meet Sora…Donald…Goofy…and Reina."

"Nice to meet ya, Meg." You smiled, pretending as if you've seen her for the first time.

"So you all know Wonderboy?" Meg nodded with a well-concealed smirk.

"You betcha." Sora smiled.

"So, when did you guys get here?" Hercules asked.

"A while ago…" Donald replied.

"_After_ we got lost in the Underworld." Goofy added, causing to Hercules to look at you all inquisitively.

"We were on our way to find you when we bumped into Meg…uh…" Sora looked at Meg quickly and then said, "_Mega_ trouble. And I want to talk to Hades about something."

"So you want to go back there, huh?" Hercules asked and Sora nodded. "Well, there's a stone that guards against the Underworld's curse. The gods on Mount Olympus use it whenever they go down there. I can get it for you if you like."

"Sure, that would help a ton!" Sora nodded ecstatically.

"Okay. In the meantime, you can work on that training. Phil must be outside." Hercules told your group, though you had no clue who Phil was. He turned and left through the large stone doors.

"Great! Let's go then." Sora said eagerly, heading towards the door but you stood your ground.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, noticing your hesitation.

"Nothing, I'm just still a little tired from the Underworld curse. You guys should go ahead." You urged, trying not to sound suspicious.

"Oh, okay then." Sora said disappointedly. It was clear he wanted to see him show off his skills, but you had something much more important to do.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go outside…and get some fresh air, kay? Bye!" you raced eagerly outside without any answer and you didn't realize suspicious eyes were piercing your back as you left.

"Wonder what she's up to…?" Meg muttered softly, and Sora seemed to be thinking along the same line. There was only time other time where she was eager to leave the group, in the Land of Dragons and that was when…

*_Nah…maybe the Underworld really __did__ get to her…_* Sora thought, waving off the doubt, but it still gnawed at him in the back of his head. He turned with Goofy and Donald to the arena, wishing that you were going to be there to see him…

~*~*~*~

You practically ran over to the statue where you saw Roxas, your heart pounding with excitement and happiness. You got over to the statue, and your heart fell as you didn't see Roxas waiting for you, as you expected to. Your eyes searched the place twice, thrice….but he wasn't there. You hung your head down.

"I'm right here." Roxas whispered in your ear as he wrapped his arms around your waist. Your heart leapt again as you turned to face him, and you were glad to see he was his old blond-haired blue-eyes self. But there was still something different about him, though you couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"I missed you!" you hugged him tightly, feeling like you were back in Twilight Town.

"Me too. How are ya?" He smiled warmly.

"Never been better." You replied, feeling like you could go back to the Underworld a hundred times, just for him. Then you remembered something and then asked him, "Why didn't you want Sora or the others to see you?"

"I wanted to be with you alone…not with _them_ around…" Roxas said in a low growl, and the same coldness flashed in his eyes. Why does he dislike them so much? He doesn't even know them, and yet you saw a pure hatred for your friends in his eyes. You wanted to change the subject immediately.

"So, did you find anything about Twilight Town's…" you faltered, and suddenly remembered about Twilight Town's disappearance. "_Twilight Town_! It--"

"Disappeared? Yeah, I know." Roxas said.

"You do?" You blinked and he nodded.

"Yeah, for a while now…" he said, which annoyed you a little bit. Were you the last person to find out? Roxas looked as if he wanted to talk about something more important when he said, "But…I wanna ask you something."

"What is it?" you asked.

"Do you remember anything about our childhood?" he asked, which caught you off guard. *_What a random question_…*

"Yeah, of course….well, kinda." You said. Roxas looked at you excitedly.

"Like what?"

"Well…" you thought. "There was one time where we were at the beach, right?" you said hopefully and Roxas kept looking at you as if he wanted to hear more, but surprisingly no other memory popped into your mind.

"That's it?" he asked, his excitement falling.

"Yeah, I guess. Why, though? You don't remember?" you asked him.

"Nope. And you don't remember anything else, do you?" he said, and you shook your head.

"No…but I get these memory flashes and I'm _starting_ to remember…" you faltered as the truth of not being able to remember your own childhood hit your hard. Till now you never gave much thought to it. "How come we can't remember?" you asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out now. From what I found out, some huge incident a while ago messed up our memories and left a great deal of darkness on your heart to prevent you from remembering." Roxas said, and your eyes widened at this information.

"But I'm getting my memories back, right? Then that means the darkness is clearing…right?" you looked at Roxas for reassurance, and you let out a huge sigh of relief when he nodded.

"Yeah, and maybe you'll even remember who caused this." Roxas said and you immediately thought of a huge dark Heartless that took people's memories, but as you thought about it, it didn't seem likely. Then, you suddenly remembered something.

"Organization XIII!" you cried suddenly.

"What?" Roxas said, his eyes widening.

"They're a group of strong Nobodies!" you explained. "They might be the reason why we can't remember anything!"

"That's…a possibility…" Roxas stiffened, but you didn't notice and went on.

"And we saw one in the Underworld, too! I wonder what he was doing there…" you told him as Roxas internally cursed at his friend.

He turned to you with a perfect imitation of sadness, good enough to fool you. "I think I have to leave now…" he said, making you have an expression of real sadness.

"Already? Why?" you complained. "Why don't you join me and the others? It'll be fun." You suggested but you knew it was just a waste of breath when you saw his expression.

"I can't…" then he looked up at you with eager eyes. "Why don't you come with me? We'll be able to travel all the worlds together."

"Sure! I…" you started happily, but then you realized something. "I…can't."

"Why not?" Roxas asked, the same sad expression on his face,

"I made a promise with Sora that I'll never go without them…" you said sadly, feeling that you were so close to your goal and now that you were so far away…Roxas' eyes turned into pure hate and anger, as you expected it to be. Plus, there was another reason for not going with him, but saying it aloud wouldn't be such a good idea.

"Why the heck you made that promise anyway?" he said angrily. You explained the situation at the Land of Dragons and he cooled down a bit, his anger fading slowly.

"So it's kinda my fault huh?" he said, as you shook your head in I 'Sort of…' manner.

*_If I'm the reason she made this promise…_* Roxas thought determinedly, *_Then I'm going to be the one who makes sure she breaks it…_*

"I should be leaving…the others might be waiting for me…" Roxas said craftily, knowing what you were going to ask. He made a portal with his right palm as you looked at him confusedly.

"Others?"

"Yeah, the others…you'll remember soon enough…" he smirked before planting a soft and familiar kiss on your lips, one that instantly warmed you up. He then disappeared in the portal, leaving you alone once again.

*_Others…?_* you thought wondering who these people could be. Sadly, those people would turn out to be the last people you expected.

**~*~*~*~**

Sora, Donald and Goofy walked over to Phil, who was setting up pots in the arena for training, no doubt. As Phil heard them approaching, he thought the three were Hercules, and he said, "Hey, champ, how ya feeling? Better rest up for tomorrow's match. Nobody's gonna pay to see a worn-out hero...capiche?"

The three looked at each other, not sure of what to say.

"Remember what I told you," Phil continued without looking at them. "Victory in the games comes down to two simple words: Eat, bathe, sleep!"

Goofy was ticking each word off with his fingers and chuckled along with Sora and Donald when the satyr was off on his numbers…as always.

Phil didn't recognize this as Hercules voice and turned around. His expression lit up as he Sora and the others, and he ran up to Sora with a playful punch. "Hey, if it ain't the junior heroes!"

"Lookin' good, Phil." Sora nodded.

"Never better." Phil said, scanning everybody happily. "How you guys been? Have you earned your '_true hero_' wings yet?"

"Erm…" the guys replied, not meeting Phil's eyes.

"Nope. You ain't got what it takes." Phil said, turning away from them.

"What?!" all the guys exclaimed.

"So, what's up?" Phil asked, tending to the pots and adding more with a wave of his hand. Sora explained that Hercules was going to get the Olympus Stone and that he said that the guys could train for a bit till he returns.

"You wanna train, eh? So let's you try and take on these!" Phil said, waving his hand and causing more pots to appear on the arena, nearly covering the entire floor.

"I can clear the whole thing in two minutes." Sora bragged, which caused Phil and Donald to roll their eyes at him.

"No you can't!" Donald retorted.

"Fine, if you feel that way, then let's bet on it! 150 munny for the winner." Sora said confidently with his arms crossed.

"Fine. Phil, can you keep time for us?" Donald turned to the satyr who nodded and took out his stopwatch. Sora entered the arena, ready to clear it.

"Ok, kid. Start!"

~*~*~*~

You entered the Colesium once again, feeling on top of the world, though still a little confused with the 'other' people thing. You really wanted to know who these people were.

*_Guess I just have to wait until I remember_* you shrugged.

"So, caught enough fresh air?" Meg asked, causing you to look up. She had a victorious smile on her face as she approached you.

"Yeah…" you said nervously, looking at her expression. It looked like she _knew_.

"Oh who're you fooling? It's obvious you were out there for something else. Or _someone_ else." Meg smirked. You looked away and found yourself blushing, fully confirming Meg's suspicion. Meg grinned as she went in.

"So who was it? Your _boyfriend_…?" You nodded slowly, knowing it was useless to lie to her.

"Young love…so cute…" Meg sighed. But then her tone changed slightly when she asked, "Why isn't he with you now?"

The question brought a small frown to your face as you said, "He's got other things to do."

The excited spark died from Meg's eyes. Then as if she could relate, she said, "Too busy to see you often?"

"Yeah, too busy…" you trailed off. Then, wanting to change the subject, you turned the tables on her. "So, what about you and Herc?" you said with a playful smile, but Meg just frowned.

"I…don't like him." She muttered, though her eyes said something else.

"Who are _you_ fooling?" you said with your arms crossed. "You like him a lot don't ya? He likes you too. A lot" you said, recalling how Hercules's eyes lit up when he re-introduced you all to Meg.

"I doubt it. He's usually to busy out doing '_hero stuff_' most of the time." Meg said, looking down. You decided to cheer her up and make her see what was in front of her.

"I'm sure he loves you." You replied, making Meg look up hopefully. "No matter how far away he is from you, I'm sure you're always in his heart. And when he is with you, I'm sure he treasures those moments more than any old match or victory." You told her, feeling like you were speaking for more than just Meg and Hercules.

"Thanks kid." Meg said with a smile.

"No problem. I'm gonna go check on Sora and the others, kay?" you said, happy that Meg cheered up.

"Okay, then." Meg nodded.

"See ya!" you smiled brightly, leaving Meg alone with her thoughts….and a dark figure that was slowly and silently approaching her.

"Hey guys!" you greeted everyone in the sunny arena.

"Hi Reina." Goofy greeted with a smile while Donald stared wide-eyed at Sora, who was hacking skillfully at the scarce amount of pots in the arena.

"Go Sora!" you cheered. The said brunette spun around brightly and finished off the last pot with the spectacular move.

"Hmph. Showoff." Donald muttered, staring grumpily at Sora.

"Done!" a short little… wait, what was that?

"Goofy, who is that?" you whispered.

Goofy chuckled and explained, "That's Phil, a satyr. He's the one who trained Hercules."

"Oh…" you said, looking around in wonder. "So this is where you guys fought all those monsters, huh?" Goofy nodded and started on the various monsters they faced, and how they earned all of the trophies displayed in the building. You paid attention to every detail, not aware of anything other than Goofy's narration.

"What was the time!?" Sora and Donald both asked.

"You still had a cool twenty seconds, kid." Phil assured Sora, who punched the air in victory.

"Pay up, Donald." Sora grinned, outstretching his hand. Donald grumbled at him and then took out 150 munny out of his pocket.

"You better spend it wisely. 150 munny is…" Donald had the munny in his hand, but when Sora tried to take it, Donald held on to it like he didn't want to let go.

"…A lot…" another tug on Sora's part didn't earn him the munny; Donald still held on tightly. "…Of munny!" Sora managed to wrench out the munny from Donald's hand, causing him to fall back from the force of letting go.

"Don't worry…I'll spend it right…" Sora said, looking at you intently while pocketing the munny. He knew _exactly _what he wanted to spend his newfound wealth on…

At that moment, Hercules walked into the arena looked angry and frustrated. You all gathered around him, concerned about his state.

"What happened?" you asked.

"The Olympus Stone has been stolen." Hercules told you all angrily, which made everyone's eyes go wide with surprise.

"Do you have any idea who did it?" Donald perked up, feeling like he should hit someone after losing the bet.

"No, not yet." Hercules shook his head, looking more defeated than ever. "All we're sure of is that it was a guy in a black-hooded cloak who took it. And he had accomplices - a bunch of creatures in white."

Everyone made knowing glances at each other, sure of whom it was. "Organization XIII…." Goofy muttered.

"If we get the Olympus Stone, can we use it for a while?" Sora asked.

"Sure." Hercules said and then looked around. "Have you seen Meg anywhere?"

"Yeah, she was just in that room over there." You said, motioning towards the room with the trophies.

"That's not possible!" Hercules cried his eyes full of shock. "I was just over there, and she wasn't there! I thought she was watching you guys…" Hercules looked around frantically, as if Meg was going to pop up any moment.

"What's wrong, your hero-ness?" an unpleasant but familiar voice cackled. You all turned to see Hades walking towards you all with a satisfied expression on his face. "Caught under the weather? You know, I thought staying in perfect shape was part of the hero job description... you know what I'm saying"

Sora glared at the Lord of the Underworld and suddenly remembered something. "Hades, we have to talk!"

Hades rolled his eyes and flicked Sora off as he was some annoying fly, causing him to fly a few feet backwards. You immediately rushed to his aid, helping back up to his feet as you sent a look of pure hatred at Hades. Hades smirked at you, and while he was looking away, Hercules tried to punch him.

"I came to share a bit of mildly-interesting news: Seems, your dear, sweet little Nutmeg." Hades teleported in a _poof_ of smoke, as if he knew Hercules was going to strike. "Went and got herself lost in the Underworld."

"You mean you kidnapped her!" Hercules roared, his body shaking with utmost anger.

"Well…_maybe_. But why get caught up in the details, eh?" Hades shrugged casually, waiting for Hercules to make the move he planned. Hercules whistled loudly and a white horse with large wings flew into the arena.

"Ah ah ah." Hades shook his finger in a mocking way. "You can't leave now, okay? You've got a _very_ important match today, against the bloodthirsty Hydra! I mean, if you don't stick around, who knows what kind of _accidents_ might happen?"

"Accidents _you_ cause!" you growled.

"Like I said: details, who needs 'em?" Hades said, concealing the satisfied smile from his expression.

"You're just a coward." Hercules muttered angrily.

"Ah, well, we can't all be heroes." Hades shrugged and vanished in another haze of smoke. With no other choice, Hercules turned to you all and asked, "Can you handle this?"

"You got it! We're heroes!" Donald said proudly.

"_Junior_ heroes, Donald." Goofy corrected in a whisper and Donald looked at him with an annoyed glare.

"You take care of the hydra. We'll handle the rest." Sora assured with a brave smile.

"I'm counting on you four." Hercules said.

"Don't you worry! We'll have her back in no time!" you smiled brightly, hoping that make Hercules feel a bit more relaxed about this whole ordeal, even though you were a little down to find out that you were heading to the Underworld _again_…

**~*~*~*~**

"I hate this place…" you shivered as you walked closely by Sora and the others in doom and gloom of the Underworld. "It makes me think of all the bad things in life…"

"Like what?" Sora asked.

"Well, getting a bad grade on a test…letting my ice cream fall…fighting with my mom…" You listed each one on your finger. Sora grinned amusedly at the first two, but his expression changed as he heard the last one.

"Fight with your mom?" Sora repeated with a confused expression.

"Yeah… I mean, I love her and all but we just…don't get along sometimes." You said, not wanting to continue the subject.

"Oh. Well, at least you can turn to your dad whenever you're in trouble with her, right? That's what I always do." Sora told you while you just nodded woodenly.

If only it were that easy…if only you could see your dad again.

According to your mom, he disappeared a couple of years ago and never returned, no doubt ditching you two. Plus, you had no memories of him, so you had no idea what he looked like, so if you did run into him in your travels, you wouldn't be able to recognize him

Even though there was some confusion and anger against him, your heart still ached to see him. You hoped very much that you would be able to find him, or at least remember him.

"This way…" Donald said, breaking you out from your thought. A cool breeze washed over your face as you walked deeper into the Underworld. You all entered another dark entrance and saw a figure dressed in black reading a piece of paper in his hand.

*_Organization XIII!_* you thought immediately, and judging by the others' looks, they thought the same.

He looked up as soon as he heard you all approaching and took off his hood. He had dirty blond hair that was cut into a short mullet and blue eyes that were darting back and forth from the paper to your group.

"Wait a sec…Roxa—" he was cut off by you, who exclaimed, "You know Roxas?!"

"Uh, ye—" he stopped as his eyes caught the hand-written words '_**Do NOT mention Roxas if Reina is around!!!**_' You stared at him, waiting for an answer. The Organization member looked flustered. He turned back to the card and read again in neat, hand-written words, '_But if you do, follow number three…_'

"_If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition_'... Right... Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one..." he sighed, putting away the piece of paper while digging for something else in his pocket.

"You're bizarre…" Sora said, crossing his arms. The man finally found what he was looking for and pulled out a little gold stone with the Olympus symbol on it.

"He's gotta be the thief!" Goofy shouted, waving an accusing finger at him.

"Well, that's just plain rude!" the man reprimanded, holding up the Olympus Stone. The Olympus Stone disappeared in a flash of bright light and formed a blue sitar that he started playing. Suddenly, monsters made up of water came to life and you all responded by attacking them

The fight was really easy; you learned that you could use one of the water monsters and swing it around to take down multiple monsters. After a few minutes, the battle was over and the Organization man collapsed a little and you went over to him, determined to get an answer.

"Do you know Roxas…?" you asked him again, crouching down. The man's blue eyes softened and his lips curved into a slight smile.

"Yeah, I know him…and you know me too." The man whispered softly, so only you can hear.

"I…do…?" you blinked. The man nodded and stood up.

"Yeah, just try and remember…." He whispered and then disappeared into a portal of darkness, leaving you a little confused.

*_…Maybe…maybe this guy is one of the 'others' Roxas was talking about…But that must mean Roxas knows the Organization, doesn't it…?_* There obviously had to be some reason he was hiding this…or maybe this guy was just trying to psych you out. But the guy looked so truthful…and you felt as if you saw him before. Suddenly, you felt lighter and healthier as a light swirled around you. It looked as if Sora took the Olympus Stone and used on you all.

"Let's go, Meg needs our help!" Donald called, moving ahead with the others. You nodded and went along, but you turned your head and stared back at the spot the man disappeared at.

*_I'll try best to remember_….*you thought determinedly, not knowing that everything was part of a _very_ secret plan…

**~*~*~*~**

You all entered an empty room that had a huge rock in the middle of the room. Engraved on the rock was on outline of Meg crouching down and a shimmering keyhole. Sora took out his Keyblade and immediately unlocked the keyhole, not knowing that he also helped Hades conquer the very goal of this kidnapping. The rock vanished in a burst of light and revealed a deep hole that had a stairway leading down to what seemed to be a dungeon.

"Let's go!" Donald shouted and you all bustled in the dungeon to see Meg bound by some kind of chain as Hades was talking to her. Meg's face lit up as she saw you all, and, surprisingly, so did Hades.

Hades chuckled to himself and said, "Now that's what I call a key…Gee, well thanks for your help, have a nice day!" and he vanished in a cloud of smoke. You raised an eyebrow, wondering what you all helped him on when Meg exclaimed, "Behind you!"

An annoying voice cackled behind you all and you turned to see big ol' Pete, surrounded by a group of Hooked Bat Heartless.

"What's wrong? Can't fight in the Underworld? Aw, boo-hoo-hoo! Ha ha!" he mocked, completely unaware that you all had the Olympus Stone.

"Better think again!" Sora retorted, getting into an offensive stance. You all charged at Pete and the Heartless, with Donald and Goofy attacking the Heartless, Sora against Pete and you protecting Meg. But no matter how many Heartless you protected Meg from, many more took its place, which frustrated you.

"There's too many!" you shouted, annoyed. Sora broke the chain that bound Meg and you all got ready to escape—but the exit was blocked by Pete and his gang of Heartless.

Then, just as a real hero would do, Hercules jumped in on the scene, throwing a couple of Heartless at Pete, who stumbled.

"Sorry I'm late." Hercules apologized, but it looked like he was talking more to Meg then anyone else. They both stared at each other for a while before Donald made a subtle cough and Hercules whistled loudly. A winged horse flew in and used it hooves to make sure Pete doesn't get up again. Hercules hoisted Meg up on the horse and told you all, "Now get Meg outta here. I'll meet you guys back at the Coliseum."

"What about you?" Sora asked.

"I'm gonna show what happens to these guys when they mess with a true hero." Hercules grinned, flexing his arms. Meg gave him a worried look before Pegasus flew off, and you guys followed it while Hercules took care of Pete and the Heartless.

When you all went back up to the entrance of the dungeon, Meg guided Pegasus to the ground and said, "Sora, I won't leave him."

"He'll be alright." Sora replied, which didn't assure Meg at all.

"Look, even Herc has his limits. He can't keep winning forever." Meg looked back at the deep hole from which you all came from.

"Then we'll back him up." Sora assured her, and Meg let out a little sigh of relief.

"Get Meg outta here!" Donald commanded to Pegasus, who nodded ecstatically and flew off to safety. You all went down into the dungeon once again to see Hercules fighting Pete and the Heartless, both of them looking pretty worn out.

"Need a hand?" Sora asked Hercules when you all stormed him Hercules grinned and nodded. The both of them teamed up while the rest took care of the Heartless. You felt a slight rumble when you were fighting the Heartless, but brushed the feeling off when you saw that there were more Heartless to take care of. On the other hand, Sora and Hercules treated Pete as a pinball whenever he used a special charm that made him invincible. Tired and exhausted from getting pushed around, Pete grumbled and backed off.

"This place gives me the creeps. I'll deal with you nitwits next time." He grumbled then ran off along with his Heartless.

"We did it!" you cheered, but a strong rumble caused your smile to fall. Boulders stated falling down and it looked as if the whole place was falling apart.

"C'mon, let's get outta here!" Sora grabbed your hand and the both of you ran out of the Underworld.

**~*~*~*~**

You gasped in horror as you saw that the once strong-standing Olympus Coliseum lay crumpled and ruined. And what was standing on top of the ruins scared you even more: a sharp-toothed and strong purple monster stared down out you all and let out a beastly roar.

"This can't be…" Hercules said falling to his knees in shock and defeat, as Meg and Phil came to help him.

"Champ! You're safe!"Phil said, though his voice seemed to break and his eyes had sadness behind them.

"I…failed…." Hercules mumbled miserably, looking around at the ruins dazedly.

"It's not your fault." Meg assured, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Aw, c'mon champ! I didn't train you to think like that!" Phil urged, trying to sound positive.

"Phil's right. There's no time to beat yourself up."

"I'm some hero." Hercules muttered mockingly to himself as Meg dragged him off to a safe place.

"Herc needs our help!" Donald said, taking out his weapon. You all got into a defensive stance and you glared at the monster.

"Don't suppose you have room for one more?" Phil said, throwing kicks at the monster.

"We're in." Meg said, jerking her head towards Pegasus.

You all charged forward, and in no time, you all took down the one headed lizard with ease. You all faced _real _trouble when the hydra started sprouting more heads.

"Over here! Jump on the hydra's back!" Phil called from the area behind the hydra, holding one of the pots Sora trained with. Sora climbed the hydra's back and then smashed the pot Phil threw at him on the hydra's back. This caused it to become paralyzed for a few seconds, which gave you, Donald, and Goofy a chance to take down the other heads. When the hydra was on the brink of being defeated, Pegasus flew in and went toward Sora, who jumped on.

Pegasus flew skillfully between the heads, and when the moment was right, Sora flung his Keyblade to the hydra, cutting off all the heads and finally defeating the hydra. You, Donald and Goofy cheered in victory and soon enough Sora joined in too. Your face fell as your eyes met a huge scratch on his face, but Sora waved it off as if it were nothing.

"Looks like we'll have to clean that up in the Gummi Ship." Goofy said, staring at the scar with a grimace. You all headed back to where Hercules was resting.

"I'm no use…" Hercules muttered, completely depressed.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Meg assured him. "Even a god would be exhausted."

"She's right, give yourself a chance to rest." Sora agreed.

"There won't be any games for a while anyway." Goofy added, trying to shine some light in the situation.

"Don't worry about Wonderboy. _I'll_ look after him." She said, giving a warm smile to Hercules, who returned the smile. "Sora…Donald…Goofy…Reina…I owe you big time."

"Hey, it's no big deal." Sora said casually, though a big smile formed on his face. "Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless start acting up. We'll take care of it!"

"That's what heroes are for!" Donald said proudly.

"Since when did you three make heroes?" Meg asked, crossing her arms.

"Let's save that for another time…" Sora said, changing the subject. "Oh! I almost forgot." Sora took out the Olympus Stone and the Heartseeker appeared in your hand. The Stone rose into the air and you and Sora locked it, with Sora looking a little more tired and worn down.

"We should leave." You mentioned, looking at Sora's condition.

"Take care!" Donald waved, turning to leave. You turned too, but Meg stopped you.

"Reina," She addressed. "Hope you find your _boyfriend_ again soon." She winked. You blushed and waved goodbye as Sora raised an eyebrow, but flinched when the movement affected his wound.

"What boyfriend?" he whispered to you, but he thought he knew the answer already.

"Uh…I'll tell you later." You said, not meeting his eyes, not wanting to say anything to him at the moment. Actually, you didn't want to do _anything_ at the moment; you felt really tired and you looked forward to resting after a long, hard day's work.

**~*~*~*~**

"…he'll be better when he gets up." Donald mentioned when he finished healing Sora's wound, even though Sora had no idea that it was happening. You and Donald were in Sora's room, up and ready after a long rest. You were looking interestedly at the hand-drawn pictures that adorned the wall. All of them included him, a guy with long, spiky blue hair and a blue-eyed girl with auburn hair.

Even though the drawings were pretty well drawn, it was the content that interested you. The one that caught your eye the most was one where Sora and the girl were sharing a paopu fruit.

"Hey, Donald," You called pointing to the girl, "Who's this?"

"Oh that's _Kairi_." Donald snickered. "Sora's _special__sweetheart_."

"Oh, okay." You muttered, turning back to the pictures. *_She's a lucky girl…_*

Suddenly, Goofy's panicked voice filled up the room. "Donald! Get here quick!" Donald looked a little confused as he rushed off to the Front.

The loud sound woke Sora up and you went over to him.

"Hey." You grinned as you saw two bright blue eyes staring back at you dazedly. "Feeling okay?"

"I guess so…" Sora mumbled, getting up and touching the wound gingerly. Then, his eyes widened a bit as he remembered something. "So, what were going to tell me?"

"Oh, that…you still remember?" you asked, looking down. Sora nodded and you went on. "Well, remember when I said I was going to go get some fresh air?"

"Mhmm…" Sora focused himself on you, who didn't want to give eye contact to him

"Well, I kinda left because Roxas was there, waiting for me…" you said with some uneasiness, wondering how Sora would react to finding out that you were lying to him. You couldn't help it; if you told them that Roxas was there, they would want to meet him and looked like that was one thing Roxas didn't want.

"I knew it…" Sora muttered, annoyed. *_How does that guy pop everywhere like that?!_* he thought.

"Sorry I lied to you." You mumbled hastily, looking at Sora's expression. Sora smiled at you, but his smile fell a little at wheat you said next.

"It's just that I really wanted to see him…I missed him…" you smiled, with a warm expression in your eyes as you thought about your meeting with Roxas. Sora furrowed his brows a little as he noticed the smile. You thought he would understand; after all, he must be missing that Kairi girl too.

But in truth, he didn't think about her as much as he thought about you nowadays.

"Why didn't you just go with him? Then you would be able to see him every day." Sora suggested sourly, not meaning what he said.

"He asked me that." You mentioned, causing Sora to look up with wide eyes.

"And you refused!? Why?"

"Your promise….and I like traveling with you guys. It's really fun, all these memories…this happiness…I would never want this journey to end so soon." You said with a warm smile, causing color to form on Sora's cheeks. He felt really touched and his affection for you grew when you said that.

"Me too." He agreed with a tender smile.

"Great. So let's make this journey memorable, shall we?" you grinned, lending your hand out to Sora.

"Yup!" Sora smiled, taking your help and getting up.

And memorable it will be.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

A big ol' thank you to XRarityofTearsX for being such an awesome beta!!! ^^ And to my awesome readers, thanks for all the support

Kay, so I know this chapter's really long so sorry about that! Xp I tried to keep it down, but there were so many things that needed to be in this chapter that I couldn't. There were some things that foreshadow future events in the story, and I couldn't fit them everywhere…. I think I did pretty bad on the fighting scenes too, they were way too brief…but I really liked writing the rest ^^ It was really fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

So, what you think about this chapter…which couple do you support? Any parts you liked or disliked? Tell me all about it ^^

~narcotic-lullaby


	12. Back in the Day

"…I am an _idiot_…" Demyx muttered as he finished describing his almost-blunder to his friends.

"You've got that right…" Roxas muttered.

"Hey! You're _supposed_ to disagree!" Demyx huffed, turning slightly red.

"Well, if wasn't for Namine's note…!" Roxas started, but was cut off by Axel.

"Did you say anything else to her?" Axel asked loudly, diffusing a soon-to-be argument between Roxas and Demyx.

"Well….I told her that she has to remember me …..Oh, I also kinda told her that you knew me, but that was right before I left…" Demyx recalled, looking down.

"So you _did_ tell her that you knew me?!" Roxas shouted.

"Well…she asked, so I answered." Demyx shrugged while Roxas slapped a palm to his forehead angrily, muttering a string of curses under his breath.

"Don't worry…I have a plan…" Namine assured everyone coolly; everybody turned their attention to her. She knew that this sort of thing would happen and she was ready for it.

"What is it?" Axel inquired.

"You'll see…" Namine smirked softly as she looked out the window.

**~*~*~*~**

You and Sora walked over to the Front, wondering where Donald went to. You both were met by a flash of blinding light, and when it cleared, a place with a lot of contraptions and such came into view from the glass dome.

"What's going on…?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy; both of them looked tense.

"The Queen requested us immediately!" Donald and Goofy both responded before hurrying off the Gummi Ship.

"Wow, the Queen!" you exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, let's go!" Sora smiled. The both of you followed Donald and Goofy who were looking around at the funny-looking room interestedly.

"This is your castle? Must be nice being back home, huh?" Sora asked, but Goofy and Donald didn't respond; they were too busy looking around.

"Y'know, somethin' just doesn't feel quite right." Goofy said, looking troubled.

"Yeah…" Donald agreed, crossing his arms. Suddenly, Chip and Dale scurried out of the Gummi Ship urgently.

"Move it! Queen Minnie needs to see you!" Chip squeaked, pointing to the exit.

"The castle's in danger! Hurry, to the library!" Dale exclaimed, also pointing to the exit. Without another word, Goofy and Donald sped off, leaving you and Sora to follow them.

"Hey, wait up!" you called, going after them.

You both followed them into a sunny, colorful garden that hurt eyes when you first looked at it. There were huge bushes cut into cartoon-like shapes and vivid flowers that made you nose tickle a little bit. You were allergic to some flowers. You started to wonder what could have ruined the peaceful atmosphere in this world, when the answer appeared in front of you.

"Heartless!" you spotted a single Shadow Heartless lurking around a bush.

The Heartless instantly became alert of your group and called for more to join it as it saw everyone take out weapons.

Immediately, the group broke up to take care of separate Heartless, which was easy enough since they were just Shadow Heartless. Fighting the Heartless, you realized that fighting and blocking became a habit to you.

"Not here too!" Donald groaned, and Goofy and he sped off. Something tickled your nose again. You tried to brush it off, but the irritation grew and you couldn't hold it in anymore.

"_Ah_-**choo!**" you sneezed loudly and the sound came out high-pitched and comical. Sora blinked at you and burst into laughter.

"Hey, what're you laughing at?!" you grumbled before sneezing loudly once again.

"That!" Sora laughed even harder.

"Oh…it's just my allergies…" you sniffled. Both of you managed to get out of the garden.

"What are you allergic to?" Sora asked with a grin.

"Flowers…" you looked at Sora. "…and stupid people. It's funny, I've got the second one the same day I met you…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Sora grinned, crossing his arms.

"You know very well what it means, sidekick. Your stupid-ness is affecting me." You smiled, feeling that that nose was weird. You turned to a lavish mirror that was placed nearby and saw that your nose was red, and your eyes were a little teary.

"Whatever, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." Sora joked, causing you to laugh alongside him.

You two finally reached the library, where Goofy and Donald were saluting a small mouse in a royal pink dress and a golden tiara.

"Your Majesty, Queen Minnie, we're back!" Donald saluted.

"Your Royal Highness, didja happen to summon us?" Goofy asked.

"Yes." Queen Minnie nodded. Her eyes widened as she spotted you and Sora. Her eyes lingered on you a fraction of second more, as if she thought you were someone else she knew.

"Where's the King?" Sora interrupted, putting a hand on Donald's head and Goofy's shoulder. Both of them glared at him. Sora and Queen Minnie looked at each other blankly, wondering who each other was. Donald grabbed Sora's collar, pulling him down into a forceful bow.

"Excuse him. This is our friend, Sora." Donald apologized, hoping Queen Minnie would accept. Queen Minnie just smiled at Sora and Goofy continued.

"And this is Reina." He motioned toward you. Queen Minnie looked into your eyes and smiled, with you returning the favor.

"Sora and Reina!" the Queen gasped as she remembered something. "The King told me all about you two in his letters. He said you're a brave young man, Sora. You too, Reina, he told me that you're a very, _very_ special girl."

Sora rubbed the back of his neck, flattered, while you grinned bashfully.

"Uh, so d'you knew where he is?" Sora asked hopefully. Everyone sighed as she shook her head.

"So, Your Majesty, what are Heartless doing in your castle?" you asked, letting out the question that bothered everyone, especially Donald and Goofy.

"Oh my…so those are the Heartless." The Queen looked off with a troubled expression.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em!" You assured her with a bright smile.

"I know I can count on you four." The Queen smiled. "Now, there's something I'd like you all to see. Would you please escort me to the Audience Chamber?"

"Yes ma'am!" you all saluted her in unison. You all tilted your heads in confusion as the Queen gasped again.

"I forgot to warn everyone else in the castle about the danger!" she explained. "We must be sure they're hidden somewhere safe!"

"Okay, we'll go tell them." Sora told her.

"The whole castle…?" Donald groaned. You felt his pain; the castle looked _huge_ and to warn _everyone_ would take forever!

"We just have to split up then." You told them, and Sora nodded as he thought this was a good idea.

"We'll make sure everyone knows what's goin on." Sora told the Queen.

"No, Sora, you'll just get lost!" Donald reminded him.

"Okay, then we'll just stay with the Queen!" you said, and everyone agreed with this plan.

"Alrighty then, see ya'll later!" Goofy waved before exiting out of the doors with Donald.

"The Audience Chamber, right ma'am?" Sora asked Queen Minnie.

"Yes, let's be on our way." The Queen agreed and you two followed her out of the library. You wanted to stay a little longer in the library, there were so many things to take in and you didn't have enough time to do so. As soon as your party of three went outside, however, you were greeted by a small squad of Heartless, determined to keep you all away from your goal. You shared a quick glance with Sora, and then went forward to slash the Heartless, which were pretty small and quick.

Even though it was pretty difficult to keep up with the little buggers, you were able to bring down your share of Heartless in a small amount of time.

After the short squabble, you looked back at Queen Minnie, who was watching you two from a safe distance all this time. Her eyes were drawn to the Heartseeker in your hands.

"The Heartseeker you possess has special powers and is one of its kind, made only for the Purest of Hearts to possess."

"Special powers?" you repeated eagerly. "Like what?"

"The Heartseeker is able to reunite you with any other heart, but only if your wish is strong enough." Queen Minnie told you and your heart leapt with excitement.

Instantly, you shut your eyes thought of the one person that you wanted to be with at the moment…the one person that you were one this journey for…._Roxas…._

Nothing happened.

"Let's go…" Sora said impatiently, crossing his arms. "We can do this later." You nodded, not yet ready to give up on this new ability. You were really determined to get a hang of it. You escorted Minnie a few paces and stopped when she said, "Wait right here."

"Wow…" you muttered, trying to get a full view of the huge door that you two escorted Queen Minnie to. You took a couple of paces backward and you accidentally tripped on Sora's foot, making you stumble.

"Woah, careful there…" Sora muttered, helping you back up. You flushed a little and muttered, "Sorry about that…"

"No problem. What are sidekicks for?" Sora grinned, and smiled back, feeling happy in his presence. You were so happy you had this friendship with him and you put it all in your smile, and he noticed.

Apparently, so did Queen Minnie. She made a little cough that caused both of you to turn your attention back to the main objective. Queen Minnie raised her palm to the Mickey Mouse seal—the seal of her kingdom—and the seal and barrier vanished with a tinkle.

"As soon as the trouble started, I made sure to seal this room." The Queen explained as a smaller, more normal-sized door opened. "Now then, shall we?"

The Queen led you to a large room with a long, red carpet that led to a royal throne. The room seemed empty at first, but it didn't stay that way for long. An army of Heartless that were built like tanks called Bolt Towers appeared from dark portals.

"Not in here, too!" Queen Minnie exclaimed, putting a hand over her mouth in horror.

"I'll deal with them." Sora said, taking out his Keyblade. You raised an eyebrow at him.

"You mean _we'll_ deal with them. We're a team, remember?" you corrected, taking out the Heartseeker.

"No, you have to protect the Queen while I take down the Heartless." Sora shook his head. You opened your mouth to protest, but shut it as you realized that he was right.

"Don't worry, I'll clear them out like _that_." Sora snapped his fingers and grinned, trying to ease your anxious expression. You nodded as you looked uneasily back and forth from Sora to the gang of Heartless. Sora let out a deep breath and turned to the Heartless, charging at them while you fended off Heartless that were drawing near to you and the Queen.

As soon as Sora pushed back some Heartless, you turned to the Queen and urged her forward. "Let's go, Your Majesty."

"Try and remember…" she kept repeating under her breath, her eyes closed in thought.

"Remember what, Your Majesty?" you asked.

"There is a spell to defend myself against the Heartless, but I don't remember what it was." The Queen explained, thinking hard. Then, her eyes widened and she muttered something under her breath. A big bubble of light enclosed around the Queen and any Heartless that seemed to approach her just seemed to bounce off the shield.

"Oh, I wish I could make it bigger, but it's been a long time since I've used this spell…"

"It's okay Your Highness, just get somewhere safe while I go help out Sora." You assured her and she nodded, heading toward the throne. You darted off to help Sora, who seemed to be overwhelmed by the gang of Heartless that encircled him. Just as a Heartless was about to strike him, you blocked the attack and lunged at it. Sora noticed the presence and he turned to look at you with an inquisitive expression.

"You think I'd letcha have all the Heartless-defeating fun all to yourself? No way, Jose!" you grinned as you blocked another swing from the Bolt Towers.

"What about the Queen?" Sora asked, hitting a nearby Bolt Tower.

"She's alright." You pointed to the Queen, who made it to the throne safely. She started to search for something frantically. Sora's expression eased and he grinned at you.

"Let's show them who they're messing with!" Sora smiled, and you nodded, a little smile dancing on your lips.

"Alright!" you and Sora teamed up to block and attack Heartless together, which made the both of you feel safe, even though there were still gangs of Heartless teaming up on you two.

Whenever you saw that the Heartless got ready to hit you as if you were a nail and it was a hammer, you got ready to dodge the attack. Before the Heartless could recover from the attack, you showered it with a volley attacks, making it easy to subdue the Heartless. But even after you took down one Heartless there were two that took its place, which eventually overwhelmed you and Sora.

Queen Minnie finally found what she was looking for and pressed a small button under the armrest under the throne. The platform under the throne started to vibrate and move and it slid open to release a flash of blinding light that engulfed the whole room. When the light faded, the Heartless seemed to vanish as if they were never there. You turned to Sora, who was blinking rapidly; the light took him by surprise.

"I think I've gone blind now…" he muttered, his vision coming back slowly. He started walking opposite Queen Minnie and you.

"You'll live."You laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him back in the right direction. Sora heard your laugh and smiled, and soon enough, his vision came back.

"Wait, I think there's still one Heartless left…this one seems really nasty." He joked, waving his Keyblade at you and you jumped back.

"Hey!" you said, putting your hands on your hips.

"Oh, sorry… Sorry! It was the light, it blinded me!" Sora laughed as you playfully hit him. The Queen made another cough and you two turned to her, a little embarrassed. The Queen smiled slightly and proceeded down the hidden stairs under the throne.

"The hall below is called the Hall of the Cornerstone. Our castle has always been safe from worlds that are evil, thanks to the Cornerstone of Light, which we keep down here…"

"Cornerstone…of Light?" Sora repeated, following the Queen. When you entered the room below, you saw what the Queen was so worked up about. The room was horribly disfigured by black thorns that seemed to threaten to hurt you if you got too close. In the middle of the room there was a large, spherical stone that radiated a wounded light.

You approached the stone curiously and touched it. When your hand came in contact with it, the stone sent a warming sensation through your hand and it grew slightly brighter. You shivered and let go as soon as you felt the darkness that clouded the stone shiver up your spine. At that moment, Donald and Goofy entered the room and Queen Minnie spoke again.

"This is the castle's cherished Cornerstone." Queen Minnie broke off, looking sadly at the thorns that filled the room. "But look…the thorns…they must be the work of someone very evil. I wonder what this all could mean."

Then, as if to answer the Queen, a green fire erupted from the foot of the Cornerstone's pedestal and a witch dressed in black appeared. Her skin was tinged green and she carried a scepter and an air of pride around her. She seemed to be transparent, and you wondered how she was able to do that. She was a powerful witch, no doubt.

"Maleficent!" Donald shouted, recognizing the witch. Your eyes widened in shock. Wasn't she supposed to be _dead_?!

"Well, well, what do we have here…?" Maleficent's cold eyes searched your group. "If it isn't the Keyblade holder and his pitiful lackeys! Oh, and who is this…?" Her eyes focused on you. "Oho! It's the Purest Heart, if I'm not mistaken… I wonder what she is doing with _this_ riffraff. " Her eyes traveled to your Heartseeker, which you brought out as soon as she appeared.

"What!? Now you're gonna deal with me!" Donald shouted, clearly insulted. He charged at the witch….and went right through her, hitting his head on the Cornerstone.

"All in good time. I promise you'll be able to partake in my vengeance, but you must be patient." She replied with an evil sneer.

"Just what are you doing here, Maleficent?!" Queen Minnie demanded, wanting to get to the reason of her unwelcome visit.

"Ah, Queen Minnie, radiant as always." Maleficent did a short, pretend bow. "I'm here on a property venture. I want this castle as my own. However, it's a bit too _bright_ for what I have in mind. I suppose I'll just have to fill every room with _my_ personal touch of darkness."

"You better stop right now if you know what's good for you! You don't wanna get knocked down _twice_, do you?" you growled, seeing how anxious the Queen was around her.

"The Purest of Hearts is just like her predecessor." Maleficent chuckled, amused. You wondered briefly who your 'predecessor' was but left it alone when the witch started speaking again. "Very well….I'll stop….As soon as this castle belongs to me!" Her laughter echoed even after she disappeared in black and green flames.

"What a hag." Sora shook his head. "She just doesn't give up, does she?"

"Nothing like this has ever happened before…I looked through all the records in the library, but I couldn't find a single clue on how to stop all this." The Queen mumbled miserably, feeling as if she failed.

"Oh! We should go ask somebody who knows lotsa stuff that ain't in any book!" Goofy suggested as he looked at everyone meaningfully.

"Merlin the Wizard!" Donald caught on.

"Yes that's perfect!" Queen Minnie smiled. "Merlin just might know something about this mess. Let's ask his advice."

"We saw him in Hallow Bastion, right?" you asked.

"Yeah. Let's go." Sora nodded.

**~*~*~*~**

"Anybody home?"

You all arrived at Merlin's house and you were surprised to find all the wizard's essentials-- but not the wizard himself.

"Merlin!" Donald called; his voice rang throughout the house.

"What is all the racket?" a voice grumbled from behind you. You turned to see Merlin poof out of thin air. "Ho-ho. I thought it was - oh, it's you. It looks like you've learned a bit since the last time I saw you four."

"Really?" Sora asked, his eyes brightening.

"Wait a minute! Let's talk about the problem!" Donald interrupted before Sora could go on any further. "It's Maleficent! She's back!"

"Where?! Inside the castle?" Merlin asked hastily, his eyes widening.

"Yep! And Heartless too!" Goofy added.

"Oh dear…" Merlin shook his head, looking troubled already.

"Maleficent wants to take over the whole castle and she filled the Hall of the Cornerstone with tiny thorns….!" Donald babbled on; with nobody understand a word of his rambling. Merlin raised his brow at him and then muttered a chant under his breath.

Just like magic, you all appeared in the Hall of the Cornerstone again.

"Perhaps I'd better see for myself…" Merlin told Donald, who instantly stopped babbling and crossed his arms. Merlin greeted the Queen and examined the Cornerstone and its surroundings. "Hmm…interesting."

"What's happening, Merlin?" Queen Minnie asked.

"This is not good. In fact, I'm afraid it's quite serious." Merlin explained gravely.

Merlin conjured a big, silver door out of nowhere and turned to your group.

"What's that?" you asked.

"This door is a gateway to a special world. Someone in that world is responsible for what's going on in this castle. Of that, I am certain." Merlin explained.

"Oh boy!" Donald said eagerly, staring at the door.

"We knew we could count on you, Merlin!" Goofy cheered.

"Then, we should go get 'im." Sora said, holding on to the handles of the door.

"Wait a moment." Merlin stopped. "The perpetrators must be stopped, of course. But there's something else to do first. Somewhere in that world, there should be another door identical to this one. I believe our enemies are using _that_ door. As long as it remains open, the castle will be in grave danger."

"Listen, Sora." Merlin continued, "You must find that door and lock it with your Keyblade."

"Got it." Sora nodded determinedly.

"Now, one more thing. You're heading to a very special world. While you're there, the nature of that world may attempt you to do something dark. You must resist that temptation at all costs!" Merlin warned.

"What d'you mean?" you asked, wondering what in the world could be so alluring.

"You'll know soon enough." Merlin smiled. "I have faith in you all!"

"Let's go…!" Donald said eagerly, heading into the door first, and Goofy followed.

"C'mon…" Sora urged you with a smile. You smiled back and he headed into the door first. You took a deep breath and disappeared into the light.

"She reminds a lot…about _him_…" Queen Minnie muttered, looking into the distance sadly.

Merlin turned to her consolingly. "Of course, she would Your Majesty. After all, she is his _daughter_…."

**~*~*~*~**

One moment you were in a bright light, feeling as if you were falling down. Next thing you knew, you were on top of something heavy.

"Reina…geddoff!" Donald's voice exclaimed. Your vision cleared and you realized that you were on top of a pile consisting of Donald, Goofy and Sora.

"**Sorry**!" you exclaimed over and over again, feeling yourself turn warm.

"It's okay." Sora waved off, getting up. You looked at him peculiarly; he looked way different from before…

"What's going on?" Sora asked aloud as you all pinpointed the problem. "Everything's black and white!"

Everything was colorless and plain—from the landscape, Sora, Donald Goofy…even you. Your limbs were long, lanky and colorless, and your clothes were plain and simple, without all the extra accessories.

"Well… at least you can't call me Rudolph, huh?" you grinned at Sora. He smiled back, and was about to say something when Goofy cut in.

""The Cornerstone of Light!" Goofy exclaimed. Sure enough, there it was, though on a pile of wood instead of a pedestal.

"Hey, this is kind of like…um….uh…" Donald said, looking around at himself and wiggling his tail.

"Déjà vu?" Goofy helped, and the duck nodded ecstatically.

"Yeah, that's it!" Donald jumped.

"Wait…so you guys have been here before?" you asked, surprised. You wondered how they got back to color, if this world was black and white.

"Have you seen any bad guys around?" a voice grumbled from behind you. You all turned to see Pete, looked huffed and puffed about something.

To your group, the answer to the question was easy. All of you pointed fingers at Pete, who was shocked.

"Why I oughta…." Pete swung his fists around as if he were about to fight. Then, after a moment's thought he put his hands down. "Bah! I don't have time to waste on punks like you. So, I guess I'll go easy on ya!"

You crossed your arms skeptically as you saw him run away. Wasn't Pete eager to fight you guys in Olympus Coliseum? So why was he backing off now?

"Well, there's our villain!" Sora grinned as he punched the air in victory.

"Let's go after him!" Donald said eagerly, the first one to follow after him. You all followed the trail down to the Pier and saw Pete standing, looking in the distance.

"What's with you squirts? You gotta bone to pick with me?" Pete exclaimed as he saw you all approaching again.

"More than one!" Sora retorted.

"Them's fightin' words!" Pete swung one heavy arm round and round, ready to swing. "Huh…?" he stopped when he heard the sound of a familiar steamboat. Pete started walking towards the source, but Sora got in his way, taking out the Keyblade.

"Not so fast!"

"Yeah!" Donald agreed, ready to fight. You hesitated, but when Pete took a swing at your friends, you joined in without a second thought.

Pete was just brawn and no brains; he just swung at the nearest person, so it was easy to take him down.

"What's your punk's beef with me anyways?" Pete sat on the floor defeated. He was rubbing his pained back, glaring at you all. "Who are ya anyways? Ya new around here?"

"Cut the act!" Sora said.

Another whistle of a steamboat sounded.

"Woah!" Pete turned to get up, only to hear the crack of his bones as he got up. He collapsed again, moaning in pain. "Oh…ow…"

You tilted your head at him in confusion. This guy certainly _looked_ like Pete….but he sure didn't act like it. The Pete you knew would probably still be fighting you four now.

"Ya know, somethin' don't feel quite right here." Goofy muttered, looking at Pete with confusion. He turned to Pete. "Are ya _sure_ you're Pete?"

"Well, of _course_ I'm Pete. I'm Captain of the Steamboat. So stop botherin' me, see!" Pete growled. "Hit the road! I've gotta go find the runt what stole my steamboat!"

"I think we've got the wrong person…" you agreed, looking at Pete.

"I'm startin' to the same thing. He hasn't even called any Heartless yet." Sora scratched his cheek uncertainly.

"We're sorry we attacked ya like that, Pete!" Goofy apologized on behalf of everyone.

"Oh yeah? If you're really sorry, then go and find my steamboat!" Pete ordered, causing you all to nod at him hastily.

"Y-yes sir!" you all sounded.

"Ohh…my aching back…" Pete whimpered, rubbing his back.

You all hurried back up to the trail where you first landed at.

"Man, I was sure Pete was the villain!" Sora said, putting his hands behind his back.

"I guess we hafta find the steamboat _and_ lock that door." Goofy said sullenly, thinking about the extra work you all had.

"Yeah…" you trailed off, a funny throbbing started in your head and heart. Your vision became blurry, and the your last thought before going into state of semi-consciousness was *_Oh no…not again…_*

"_You made me wait here for an hour!" _

"_Sorry…so where is he anyway?" _

"_Who?...Oh! Are you talking about Rapunzel?" I joked, making Roxas laugh._

"_Hey, I heard that, ya'know!" another guy's voice shouted. _

_I turned and saw a green eyed, red haired guy that was looking at me and Roxas with his eyebrows raised. He was taller than me and Roxas, and by the looks of it, a little older too._

"_Just kidding, Axel!"_

"_Whatever, Coconut Head…" Axel retorted, and before I could say anything back, he turned to Roxas and asked, "So, why'd ya bring us here anyway?"_

"_I'll tell ya when everyone gets here." Roxas assured the redhead._

"_It's a great idea!" I added making Axel's eyes flash back and forth from me and Roxas mischievously. Before he could say anything, though, we heard two more people approaching the warm, sunny beach._

_The shortest of the pair was a small, blond girl, with sparkling blue eyes that matched the ocean. She greeted us all with a bright "Hello!" as the guy next to her smiled. The guy on her right…his blue eyes and blond hair made him look like the girl next to him was his sister….and I've seen him before…_

You gasped as Sora's tense face swam back into your vision. You knew _exactly_ that guy was.

**He was the Organization member from Olympus Coliseum**…

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Thanks to XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this for me, I really appreciate it! ^^

Alrightie, I feel like I've updated this story pretty quickly (well, I sure wrote it quickly; it takes a while to edit it sometimes…) Sorry that the previous two chapters weren't all that hot, I sorta lost inspiration in them, and I just wanted to be over with Olympus Coliseum (not to mention I got sick...xp)

Okay, this chapter was _really_ fun to write, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, that's probably why I'm done with it so quickly. Some of the parts were inspired from things that happened in real life (like the allergy part ^.^) and even though the fighting scenes wasn't very long (as they usually are =p) it turned out okay. Oh, and I probably won't be updating or logging in for a while, since finals are next week, and all I'm gonna be doing is studying =(

So, any parts you liked or disliked? Thoughts about Reina's 'predecessor'? About the Nobodies plans? Tell me all about it! ^.^

~narcotic-lullaby


	13. Feelings of Different Kinds

"I'm fine, I'm fine…" you assured everyone, though you were far from being fine.

*_Is__ that guy the Organization member from the Coliseum…?_* you wondered. All evidence and past events nodded yes, though something in your heart didn't want to believe it. So many questions popped in your mind, waiting to be answered and the only person who could answer everything wasn't here at the moment.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Sora told you off anxiously. Worry was written all over his colorless face, as Donald used a Cure spell on you, which had no effect on you whatsoever.

"Why does this always keep happening?" Goofy asked, eyeing you anxiously.

"Dunno…maybe she gets tired easily; she's not used to doing all the stuff we are." Donald suggested which kept you from saying anything about these flashes that might trouble them.

"Yeah, that might be it…" you agreed. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine now." You added, looking at Sora's anxious expression. You didn't like seeing him worried and the perfect diversion appeared on the side of trail.

"Hey, look!" you pointed to a peculiar floating window that was covered by draperies, making it look like a theatre stage.

Interested, Donald approached it and tugged the thick rope that connected it. The draperies slid apart to reveal an animation of pervious events.

_At the place where the Cornerstone rested, four floating windows were places side by side. In front of each window, bug-like Heartless hovered in front of each window. The shutters of each window swung open and the Heartless entered the windows. A split second later, a door shook violently and you all spilled out of it…_

The short clip ended there.

"There's Heartless in this world too, then…" Goofy concluded, looking disappointed.

"Yeah…Hey!" your eyes widened. "They were at the Cornerstone of Light!"

All of you exchanged quick glances with one another before rushing back the place where you all started. You let out a breath of relief when you saw that the Cornerstone was still intact. The only thing that changed was that four windows identical to the ones you saw in the short clip were hovering on the other side.

"Looks like we're gonna enter those to take out the Heartless." You sighed, staring at the four windows.

"Yeah, let's go!" Donald and Goofy cried in unison, determined to defend their world. Sora opened his mouth to protest against you going with them, but before he could say anything, you followed Goofy and Donald into the first window.

Sora sighed uneasily and followed you into the window. He was sure that something wrong was going to happen again.

Actually, nothing wrong was going to happen…

…_yet._

**~*~*~*~**

Heavy machinery, sounds of metal and wood, and a creaking wood are the sounds you heard at the construction site you all ended up at.

"I wonder what they're building..." Sora asked, looking around curiously.

You shrugged, feeling a weird pit of fear forming in your stomach as you looked at the altitude you all were at, with nothing but a rickety wood platform to support you all. You were at the top of the world; you could see houses and towns that were the size of ants and a whole town was the size of your palm. You tried not to look down.

"Look out!" Goofy cried in time, warning Sora to get of the way from an incoming hammer-like Heartless.

Then, out of the gray, a mouse on a rope entered the scene, tackling the Heartless away. You watched with wide eyes as the Heartless tumbled down…and down…until it became too small to be visible. You shivered.

Donald squinted at the figure that saved Sora and smiled in delight. "The King!"

"Gee, he looks kinda different somehow…" Goofy said, also squinting at the mouse who was waving at you all from a higher platform. You agreed with Goofy; he didn't look like the King you the serious envisioned him to be, but he looked more friendly and casual now.

"Oh, there's more…" you groaned, letting your eyes wander to the platform above you, which had a group of hammer-like Heartless on it.

"Thanks, you really saved the day!" Sora waved back to the King with a smile. At that moment, Heartless jumped on the platform, making it quiver. You tried to push back your fear as you took out the Heartseeker. You stayed in the middle of the platform, not wanting to get close to the edge.

After a few minutes, the Heartless seemed to be cleared, and you let out a relived sigh. You didn't notice that the platform was a little beat up from the fighting, and the ropes started loosening. Before you could even scream in warning, the ropes broke apart, and all of you started crashing down into light.

You felt something warm envelope you.

**~*~*~*~**

Next thing you knew, you were all back at the clearing feeling dazed and confused.

"What the heck was _that_?!" Donald shouted, seeing that you guys were all back at the place where you all started. You tried to get up too but a pressure on your hand prevented you from doing so, and you looked down to see what it was.

"Hey, Sora…" you called, glancing down. Sora looked at you and looked down, realizing that his hand was still joined with yours. The first thing he did when he realized the platform was going to break was rush to you, though it was out of a random impulse. He just felt like he should protect you no matter what, even if it meant a dangerous consequence to him.

"Oh, sorry…" Sora muttered, moving away his hand as if he touched something hot.

"No problem." You smiled, getting up. Something in Sora's heart lurched.

Goofy was examining the window you all entered first. "Look at this, you guys!" Goofy pointed to a tight know of rope connected to the window. Donald tugged on the rope and a movie played.

_A witch dressed in a long black robe stared out a balcony and when she spoke, it was in an angry, hateful tone._

"_You fool! You managed to fail at __everything__!" the witch spat, turning around. _

_It was Maleficent!_

"_And what's more…you foolishly thought you could take my place while I was away!" Maleficent went on in an angry, mocking voice._

_The person who you were seeing the movie through looked down, embarrassed._

"_Well, as of now, you're finished! Mark my words; there'll be no place for you when my time comes!" Maleficent fumed, starting to walk away._

"_B-but…" the person started, but Maleficent cut him off angrily._

"_Useless imbecile…" she muttered, walking away._

"_B-but…but I—" he stopped when he realized no one was listening to him._

At that moment, the window seized up and disappeared.

"Wow, she was really mad at someone…" Goofy said.

"Yeah…let's go to the other ones and find out what's going on." Donald suggested and you all nodded and entered the next door.

**~*~*~*~**

"What?!" Donald shrieked in surprise, careful of what he was stepping on. You all ended it up at a place that made you all seem like giants.

"The town shrunk!" Sora exclaimed looking around.

"Or do ya think we got bigger?" Goofy asked.

"Hey, look at the toy cannons!" you laughed, pointing to the large tower where small cannons stuck out as if it was a fortress. Each step the three took to walk over to the tower, tiny houses and trees started bouncing from the force, like you all were causing a mini earthquake.

As you all studied the tower, another force cause the ground to shake. It was the King, jumping and pointing at something frantically.

"What's he saying?" Sora asked, crossing his arms.

You looked over to see what he was pointing. "Heartless!"

The Heartless were on little (well, they were actually pretty big comparing them to the size of the town) planes doing acrobatic spins and charging at you all.

The battle with the Heartless was pretty hard, since you wanted to avoid stepping or crushing the small houses and trees. You constantly had to stop and see what you were stepping on, resulting in you receiving more damage than giving it.

Donald and Sora both used magic to take down the flying Heartless while Goofy used his shield as a boomerang to damage the Heartless. Wanting to be of use, you attempted do the same, though it resulted in you getting knocked down by the force of the Heartseeker heading back at you.

Soon enough, the last Heartless was gone and the place was cleared. The King approached your group and violently shook Sora's hand in appreciation. Before Sora could say anything, the King ran off to somewhere else.

Before your group could ponder where the King went, another movie played hovered in midair. Donald eagerly pulled on the rope and the movie started.

"_Aw, for cryin' out loud, she didn't have to go out and say _that_!" the person from the previous movie grumbled to himself sullenly._

"_Okay, I mighta messed up every now and then…" the person admitted sadly. "But I'm a lot more things than useless! Why, when I was startin' out--"_

_The person stopped abruptly and broke down into sobs.__ "__Oh... I miss those good ol' days... What I wouldn't give to go back in time... What I wouldn't give..."_

"_Huh?" The person said as he heard a rush being him. A door appeared the same one you all entered this world from. The person approached the door and opened it._

"_Huh? Hey, I think that's my—!"_

The movie ended there. "I bet that's the door Merlin's talking about." Sora mentioned as you all appeared back at where the Cornerstone of Light was placed.

"These movies must be letting us see things that led up the thorns back at the Castle, but in someone else's' point of view." Donald suggested.

"If we watch all these movies, then we'll be sure to know where the door is!" you concluded.

Goofy chuckled in agreement. "And where the villain is."

**~*~*~*~**

Blazing flames took over a tall building as sirens wailed and people screamed for help.

"Fire!" Sora shouted, looking at the burning building.

"Your Majesty!" Donald shouted looking at the frantic mouse was waving for your help.

"C'mon, he needs our help!" you said, turning to the Heartless that looked like cars gone wrong. After you were half-done with them, their headlights glowed brightly and angrily as they went berserk. Add the fact that there were little balls of fire jumping around and nearly touching your skin made it an exceptionally hard battle.

Finally, after a grueling ten minutes, both of the car Heartless broke down and the fire was extinguished. The King ran over to the group and shook Sora's hand. He left as soon as he left, leaving you to stare at his back confusedly.

"Well, our job's done here!" Sora grinned, satisfied that once again, your group saved the day.

"Oh, look, another window!" you pointed to the floating contraption. As Sora was about to pull the rope, Donald rushed over and pulled it first, making Sora glare at the duck.

"It's starting." you said, ending the about-to-be argument between Sora and Donald.

"_Fascinating…It appears to be a portal to the past." Maleficent said, staring fondly at the door._

"_Yeah, it was the strangest thing!" the person said proudly._

"_Stop gawking! And start thinking of a way we could use this to our advantage…" Maleficent smirked evilly._

"_Kay." The person nodded._

"_Now, perhaps I can give you a chance to redeem yourself." Maleficent said idly, obviously wanting the person to do the dirty work._

_The person clapped his thick, gloved hands together appreciatively. "Oh, thank you, thank you! You can count on me...! So, what do I do?"_

"_Patience my dear…" Maleficent looked into the open door. "What do we have here?__Well, if it isn't the Cornerstone of Light. Hmm... Now we can take care of those fools - but we'll have to proceed with the utmost care..."_

The scene faded into a burst of light and you all found yourselves back the Hill of the Cornerstone.

"Wow, so _this_ must be the past!" Goofy concluded.

"That should explain why the Pete and King we saw earlier acted different from the people we know in the future." You added.

"So, if we're in the past…" Sora started.

"…we can change the future!" Donald finished with a satisfied look.

"You guys! I think this is what Merlin warned us about!" Goofy warned, causing Donald and Sora to snap out of it.

"J-just kidding." Donald said casually, covering his true intentions.

"Yeah, who would wanna change the past anyway?" Sora asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

*_Yeah_,* you silently agreed, *_especially if you don't even remember it…_*

"Hey, Reina, c'mon." Sora called and you looked up. You nodded and followed him into the last door.

**~*~*~*~**

The last place you ended up at was a living room in a seemingly normal house. The trouble started when a black hole appeared and started sucking random pieces of furniture into it. The King entered the room and jumped, looking worriedly at the black hole. He started pacing frantically for his furniture, and you all tried to assist him, but ran away hastily as he saw hovering Heartless appear.

"C'mon, he needs our help!" Sora urged and you all tried to rescue the furniture while keeping the Heartless at bay, which was difficult because the pieces of furniture were flying everywhere. That made you either hit or get hit by the furniture.

After you all finished off the Heartless, and the black hole disappeared, the King entered the room once again, shook all of your hands enthusiastically, and left as if nothing ever happened.

"Whew!" Sora wiped his forehead in satisfaction.

"Hey, look, you guys!" Goofy pointed to the last window. Sora went over before Donald and pulled the string, playing the final movie.

_The person who you were seeing the movie through nodded their head as Maleficent talked. _

"_Listen well." She said, "On the other side of this portal, they're about to begin construction on that wretched castle. But until then, their treasured Cornerstone of Light lies unguarded, with all of its power still contained!"_

_The person continued to stare at the door and repeated, "The Cornerstone…of Light?"_

"_Yes! That cursed sphere is the very thing that prevents us from entering the castle!" Maleficent spat, staring at the door._

"_Oh. Okay."_

"_You know what must be done, right?" Maleficent asked._

"_Uh…" the person muttered, and Maleficent took it as a yes._

"_Go then. Time to prove your worth!" Maleficent pointed a long, bony finger at the person. "And don't' __**dare**__ fail me again, understand?!"_

_The person nodded quickly and Maleficent left the room. "Don't fail her…" the person repeated, and as he spoke, the camera zoomed out to reveal the face of the person._

_It was Pete!_

"_Let's see... That's it! I just have to smash the Cornerstone to smithereens!" he snickered happily as he entered the door. "But first, I gotta get my boat back..."_

"So it _was_ Pete after all!" Sora exclaimed angrily.

"Why, he tricked us!" Donald stomped on the ground.

"Still, somethin' doesn't feel quite right…" Goofy told you all.

"The Pete we met here had kind of an attitude, but he didn't seem like a bad guy." You remembered and the others nodded in agreement. "Hey! Since we're in the past, Pete mighta been a different person then we know him in the future."

"That does make sense…" Goofy nodded. "But where should we go to find the other Pete?"

A loud snigger from behind your group answered that question. The Pete that you knew didn't notice your group behind him as he looked ahead into the sky.

"Now that castle is as good as ours!" Pete said, no doubt talking about Maleficent.

"That's the Pete we know!" Sora crossed his arms as Pete ran away.

"Bad bad bad!" Donald shook his head, tired that the same person who they defeated so many times couldn't learn a lesson.

Goofy jumped in shock and shouted, "The Cornerstone's gone!"

"But that means they're gonna fill the castle with darkness!" Sora concluded.

"Let's hurry!" you said, starting to head the same way the other Pete went.

Then, another Pete came by, confusing Sora. "Hey, hold it right there!"

"No way, small fry! I finally found the pipsqueak what stole my steamboat!" he told you all.

"Yeah, it's _you_!" Donald pointed at him.

"Right it was—" the 'Pete' realized his mistake and said "No! No! It wasn't me! It was just somebody who _looks_ like me!"

And the Pete ran off, leaving you all in a cloud of confusion.

"Aw, which is it?!" Sora clutched his head in frustration.

"Let's just follow the two and decide then." Goofy suggested and everyone headed to the Waterway, where you all the two Petes heading toward. The sight you saw was made everything clear as to who was the good Pete and who was the bad one.

"Waiiit!" a Pete screamed, running toward a steamboat that had a wooden crate that held the Cornerstone attached to it.

"Shaddup! You're future's on the line, pallie, so back off and give me the boat!" the bad Pete took a swing at the good Pete, which made the good one fly out of sight.

"After him!" Sora yelled, and you all were to happy to oblige; this stupid Pete caused you all a lot of trouble. Pete commanded the boat to move forward, but not before trying to cause some damage to your group. He threw boxes at you all, trying to deal some damage but with good timing, you swung the boxes back at him as if you were playing baseball.

After getting hit a few times, Pete became unconscious and the steamboat pulled over to the side. You and Sora broke the wooden cage while Donald and Goofy attempted to keep Pete unconscious.

Pete eventually regained consciousness, and he pulled the steamboat away from you and Sora, but it was too late; damage to the crate was done. As a last ditch attempt to keep you away, Pete threw a huge barrel at everyone and Sora swung it back, hitting Pete square in the face. Pete flew back the force and went straight into the river.

"Yes!" Sora punched the air, celebrating your victory. The steamboat pulled aside and the Cornerstone was safe and sound. You stared at it, transfixed. There was something about it that…called for you. You felt its warmth, but it wasn't like any other it was much different. And more special. As you kept looking at it, Goofy saw Pete climb out of the river.

"Pete's headin' for the doorway!" Goofy announced, and you snapped out of it.

"We can come back for it later." Sora assured you, and you nodded. When you reached the two Petes, they were engaged in a violent argument. Bad Pete socked Good Pete in the face and he flew back, clutching his nose.

"Ha, you're still wet behind the ears!" Bad Pete laughed.

"Then try _us_!" you challenged, moving forward. You were pushed aside by the Goody Pete, who joined in to help you all.

You thought it would an easy win—it was five against one pretty bad fighter. Then, mid-battle, Pete changed the fighting scenes, which confused you. The construction site…the small town…the burning tower…the King's living room…and finally, back to the Waterway.

Luckily, that didn't help Pete as much as he thought it would and he eventually landed flat on his back, defeated.

"It serves ya right!" Good Pete growled, pointing to his future self.

The future Pete stood up and looked as if could go another round, when a door popped out of thin air. Pete darted toward it and your Heartseeker rattled toward it, revealing a Keyhole.

"Aaand stay out!" Old Pete yelled after New Pete, who ran inside the door.

"Sora." You nodded at the keyhole. Sora pointed the Keyblade at the door, and a beam of light connected the two. A dry, clicking sound followed and the door vanished in a burst of light.

"Would somebody please tell me what's been goin' on here?" Pete asked, "Who was that creep anyways?"

"He_llo_?! That creep was you from the fut—"Sora began but you clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Sora, that's a secret…!" you mused nervously.

"Secret? What kinda secret?" Pete asked and you all were spared from answering when he changed his mind. "Oh, never mind. Sorry I put you guys through all that trouble."

"Yeah, well, just don't make a habit of it." Donald muttered as everyone else laughed.

"And, to show ya my appreciation, I let ya pilot my steamboat! Best little craft on the river!" Pete said with an air of pride in his voice. "My deck hand Mickey's late anyways."

"Great, let's go!" you cheered, rushing over to the steamboat. Sora couldn't help but smile, looking at your excitement as he followed you.

**~*~*~*~**

Three musical whistles sounded the peaceful air as Goofy reached over and pulled a string on the roof of the boat. Sora and Donald were arguing over who should pilot the steamboat and you were standing at the railings, with a big smile over your face.

*_I wonder how this would all look like in color…_* you thought, and shut your eyes, painting the colorless scene with hues of your imagination.

Tired of arguing, Sora let go of the wheel and walked over to you, leaving Donald happily alone as the pilot.

"Whatcha doin'?" Sora asked, looking at you peculiarly. You opened your eyes and turned to him with a smile.

"I'm thinking about how everything would look like if it was in color."

"So, how d'you think it'll be like?" Sora asked.

"The threes and the grass…" you pointed to the land as you talked, "they would be a bright green, kinda like how you see meadows in picture books.

"Uh huh…" Sora shut his eyes, imagining the scene.

"And it would have…nah, never mind…" you trailed off, shaking your head.

"What?" Sora pressed.

"I was about to say that the flowers and bushes would be like the ones that we saw at the Castle, but those make me sneeze, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Sora smiled sarcastically.

"And this river…it would be the color of that jewel you have." You finished. *_The color of his eyes…._*

Trying to shake your mind off of Roxas, you said, "It would be nice to see this all in color, right?"

"Yeah, and I'd like to see it all with you." Those words spilled out of Sora's mouth before he could stop them, and he looked at you, mortified at what your reaction might be.

You, however, took it in a different way.

"Yeah, me too…" you said and Sora looked up. "And I bet Donald and Goofy would like it too; we should all go here sometimes, it'll be fun!" you grinned.

Sora grinned back, relieved that there was nothing awkward between the friendship. He wanted the both of you to stay together as long as possible…though, it would be nice if you had the same feelings for him as he had for you…

Wait, _**feelings**_?! He had _feelings_ for you???

More the question repeated in his head, the more he confirmed it. It explained his protectiveness, his want to stay by your side, and his happiness whenever he was by you. When he did confirm it, it filled him up with a powerful, indescribable emotion that seemed like a mixture of happiness, contentment, and affection.

Unfortunately for him, sadness and jealousy would also be a part of the mixture…

**~*~*~*~**

"I'll betcha the castle's safe now!" Goofy claimed happily when you all finished rolling the Cornerstone back in its rightful place.

"Guess we should head back to the castle huh?" Sora said and you, he and Goofy began walking back to the door.

"Wait! As long as we're here…" Donald stopped, a dreamy look forming in his eyes.

"Donald!" everyone said at once, seizing the duck before he could escape.

"What's the big idea?!Let me go! Let me **go**…!" Donald struggled, but Sora and Goofy were too strong for him, and they both threw him into the open door first. Laughing, you shut the door behind you, going back to the Disney Castle.

**~*~*~*~**

At the Castle's Hall of the Cornerstone, Queen Minnie looked up in hope as the room flooded with pure light. The thorns shattered and everyone in the room cheered.

"The thorns have disappeared!" the Queen pointed at the fading traces of darkness.

"By George! They have accomplished their mission!" Merlin exclaimed proudly, looking around.

"Hooray! Let's have an acorn feast to celebrate!" chipmunks Chip and Dale bounced up and down in happiness.

The door shook and spit out Donald, who groaned in pain. The rest of the group followed, still laughing at him.

"Welcome back!" Queen Minnie greeted merrily. "Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again. Thank you so much for all you've done!"

"Good work, you guys!" Chip and Dale said in unison.

"Now, I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were there?" Merlin asked, slightly worried.

"Of course not!" Donald stuck out his chest proudly. You all exchanged glances with another and chuckled.

You turned to the Cornerstone of Light, wondering how come you felt a sense of warmth from there. The Heartseeker appeared in your hand at this thought, and you knew what you had to do. A Keyhole appeared on the Cornerstone, which connected it and Sora's Keyblade with a beam of light. Then, a clicking sound followed and you knew that the next gate was opened.

Then, sounds of footsteps echoed in the Hall, and a pretty, female duck in a purple dress peeked from a corner, wondering what the commotion was about.

"Daisy!" Donald recognized, rushing to the duck. Daisy entered the room shyly. "Daisy, I'm back!" he announced with the biggest, brightest smile you've seen on him.

"Who?" Sora whispered to Goofy.

"Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart." Goofy answered. You looked at the couple, thinking about you and Roxas…

"Really…" Sora crossed his arms behind his head and glanced at you.

"Donald, you forgot about our date again! You better have a good excuse this time!" Daisy fumed, changing the whole atmosphere.

"Daisy, I…" Donald began, backing away.

"I know it's an important mission, but could at least check in once in a while!" Daisy went on, looking at him sadly. "I missed you…"

Donald looked equally sad and said, "Daisy, I really want to go, but—"

"Then, why don't you?" It wasn't Daisy who spoke this time, but it was you. "Go ahead and have that date, it'll be a nice break for you."

"What about—"

"It's okay, don't worry about anything. Today's _your_ day with Daisy." You went on with a smile.

"Yeah, we'll have _loads_ of fun without you!" Sora grinned pulling you and Goofy with him.

"Thanks, guys!" Donald said with a sincere expression. He turned to Daisy and stuck out his arm. "Shall we, then?" Daisy looped her arm through his and they both made their way onto a date.

"Have fun!" you called after them.

"I'm thinkin we should get out too and see the sights. It's been a while since I've been here, anyway…" Goofy said wistfully.

"That's a good idea." Sora smiled.

"Alrightie, then. Let's go!" you cheered excitedly. After farewells to the Queen and Merlin, you, Goofy and Sora headed outside, not feeling that someone was keeping an eye on you all….

**~*~*~*~**

"So, did you…?" Namine asked tentatively to the two Nobodies standing in front of her. Axel and Demyx shared half glances.

"Yeah, we saw everything…" Demyx confirmed as Axel murmured in agreement.

A wide, feigned smile spread over Namine's face. "Then it's a success."

Axel nodded, still amazed by what just occurred to him. For the first time, he actually felt something. When he experiences that memory of Roxas and the girl, a funny, happy contentment spread inside of him, one that felt _real_. That feeling was so strong that it lingered in his emotionless shell and Axel wished that Namine would get on with the plan quicker, so that he could feel more emotions.

This wish was so strong that he forgot the reason why he was against the plan in the first place….the reason that would hurt her…

"Hey, where's Roxas?" Demyx asked, feeling the absence of his blond friend.

"He's keeping an eye on Sora and Reina." Namine said, starting to work on a new piece of art.

"Wait, I thought he trusted her." Axel recalled the time at Hallow Bastion where they were spying on Reina and how Roxas firmly believed that Reina wouldn't betray him.

"He does." Namine responded calmly, not looking up from her art, "I told him to."

"Why?" Demyx questioned.

"To make sure nothing goes wrong. Even though I took every precaution there is, there's still a chance that things could mess up." Namine said. "And, he looked pretty keen on going, too…"

_**

* * *

**_

_**!Author's Note!**_

Humungous thanks to XRarityoftearsX for being a great beta-reader! ^.^

Okay, I really liked this chapter, especially the steamboat part with Reina and Sora. I think it's really cute! ^^ I have a really good idea of what's gonna happen in the next chapter, so you might see it pretty soon, if I don't spend too much time on my mini-series (which isn't going so good at the moment xp).

So, what did you think about this chapter? Any comments, ideas, suggestions or advice? I would love to know!

~narcotic-lullaby


	14. Fireflies and Spies

You, Sora and Goofy walked along the peaceful roads of the Disney Kingdom as a sunset tinged the sky with oranges and pinks, reminding you of Twilight Town. You made several stops in your tour; Goofy seemed to know everybody in this world making it feel oddly home-like. There were rows of shops lined up on either side of the cobblestone road which was a slight pink because of the sunset.

"Clarabelle, is that you?!" Goofy exclaimed, turning to a well dressed cow who was about to set foot in a café. She had a flower in her hair and looked pleasantly surprised.

"Why, Goofy! It's _you_! I haven't seen you in a long time, how are you?" she replied with a bright smile. As the conversation went on and introductions went around, Sora's eyes wandered around at his surroundings. A bakery…a flower shop…then, he saw it. A jewelry shop.

"Hey, I'll be right back, okay?" Sora told you and you nodded back, turning to Goofy and Clarabelle for conversation. Sore entered the expensive jewelry shop and searched the rows and rows of sparkly stones and polished metals for a certain pair of earrings. Sora was surprised to see that some earrings even cost 500 to 1,000 munny.

"May I help you, sir?" a properly dressed horse appeared at his side.

"Uh, yeah, I'm trying to find some earrings…" he looked outside the window to see you, still chatting with Clarabelle and Goofy. The salesman looked outside with him and smiled knowingly.

"Getting it for a special young lady, are you?" the horse smiled.

"Yea—no! …Well, maybe…." Sora said, flustered. "Can we just see some earrings, please?"

"Of course, this way…." The salesman guided Sora to a dazzling display of earrings, where Sora found the earrings you liked in a small amount of time. Just as he remembered, they were the same sparkling, silver dangling earrings you both saw at the shop at Hallow Bastion.

"150 munny." The horse said, and Sora took out the betting money he won from Donald at Olympus Coliseum and handed it to the salesman, who completed the purchase.

"She must be very special to you, right?" the horse said, as he placed the earrings in a fancy black box.

"Well, kinda." Sora muttered quietly. After the purchase, Sora placed the little box into his jacket pocket and left the store. He found you looking at a flyer posted on the wall with no Clarabelle or Goofy in sight.

"Where's Goofy?" Sora asked, looking around. You looked up at him.

"Oh, it looked like Goofy and Clarabelle wanted some alone time to catch up so I told them they should go, and they did." You smiled. "Guess that just leaves you and me then."

Sora stiffened a little. "Yeah, I guess so…"

"Anyway, I was reading this flyer about a firefly show by the Timeless River. We should go check it out!" you said excitedly. It looked like a once in a lifetime opportunity and you didn't want to miss it.

"Sure." Sora agreed and the both of you headed toward the river, not noticing that a figure clothed in black followed your every move with jealous eyes.

**~*~*~*~**

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" you gasped, looking at the exquisite scene before you.

"Better then what you imagined?" Sora asked with a smile and you nodded ecstatically. The sunset sparkled over the vivid blue Timeless Rover as you and Sora took a seat by the edge of the river. Some other people already arrived at the River, and most of them were couples, making you wish that Roxas was there with you. You stared at the gurgling water and remembered the color of his eyes.

"Looks just like….the color of his eyes…" you muttered softly. Sora heard this and felt instantly jealous. He didn't need it ask who 'he' was; it was obvious you were talking about the guy you were searching for.

"You must really miss him, don't you?" Sora asked quietly.

"Yeah I miss him…a lot." You muttered, and Sora felt a weight in his stomach. "Kinda like how you miss that Kairi girl." You added and Sora's eyes widened.

"Yeah, I miss her…she was one of my best friends." Sora said, thinking about the redhead back at the island and wondering how she was at the moment.

"_Just_ a friend?" you repeated with a skeptical smile. "I saw that picture of you and her sharing that paopu fruit."

"Yeah, well…you know what a paopu fruit is?!" Sora asked, amazed. Not that he wanted to subject on purpose, he thought only islanders knew what the importance of the fruit was.

"Yup. If you share one with someone you really care about, your hearts will be intertwined forever." You said, crossing your fingers and holding them up to the dim sky. You thought for a second and added, "But, if you love someone, you wouldn't leave them any way, right? I think the fruit is just a symbol of commitment."

"I dunno, the legend of the paopu fruit is pretty strong." Sora shrugged. "They say a part of both of the fruit eater's hearts rest in each other after they share the fruit."

Sora didn't know _how_ right he was.

As the sky grew darker, little dots of light started hovering around you and Sora.

"The fireflies…" you breathed in amazement. You haven't seen any fireflies in Twilight Town before; you've only heard them in storybooks. The fireflies filled up the sky with a heavenly glow and made everything seem like a totally different world. Entranced by the little dots of light, you got up and leaned forward to capture one of them.

"What're you doing?" Sora asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm trying to…get one…of these." You reached your hand out to get one the bugs. When you opened your hand, nothing was there. "Aw…"

Sora stood up with a smile. "Why?"

"They're so…pretty." You said, not finding another way to describe them. "I just wanna hold one in my hand."

You saw another one hovering by and you thrust your hand forward to capture it, putting too much force in it to do so which made you slip on the moist ground and plunge straight into the shallow end of the river. Sora, thinking it was a deep end, took off his jacket and prepared to dive but stopped as he saw that you were standing waist-deep and laughing.

"I'm so stupid…" you grinned, still laughing along with Sora at your clumsiness.

"Here, I'll help you up." Sora offered, outstretching his hand out to you. A mischievous smile spread on your face for a split second and Sora noticed and instantly knew what you were going to do. Before he could retreat his hand, you pulled Sora into the water with you.

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed when he rose back up. He tried to keep and angry countenance but it was easily broken by his laughter.

"That was for calling me Rudolph before." You laughed, joining in with Sora.

"Oh yeah? So _this_ is for pulling me into the river!" Sora retaliated by spraying you with warm water. You grinned at him and splashed back causing a splash war between you two.

**~*~*~*~**

"I never would have thought it…" Donald muttered, looking at you two. He and Daisy were at the Timeless River for their date and you and Sora weren't very far from their sitting spot.

"Never would have thought what?" Daisy asked, looking at what Donald was staring at.

"He hasn't smiled like that in such a long time…and now, when he's with her…" Donald trailed off, remembering the only other times where he smiled like that were the few, brief moments he was with Kairi.

"Why not?" Daisy said, staring at you and Sora, still having the splash fight. "Minnie told me about them. They seem like a nice couple to _me_."

"Yeah, they _seem_ like a nice couple, but Reina is searching for a person that's special to her. So, what if she doesn't like Sora like that? How do you think he'll react? They both wouldn't be the same…" Donald said with a hint of a worry in his voice. He didn't want either you or Sora to be hurt by each other.

"Oh I hope that doesn't happen. They look so happy now." Daisy said with a contented smile at your happy scene. Daisy looked at her watch and decided it was time to leave; she didn't like staying outside the comfort of her castle after dark.

"Yeah, I'm getting pretty hungry anyways." Donald said, getting up and patting his tummy.

"Oh, you and your stomach…" Daisy shook her head with a familiar smile as she and Donald walked over to the castle hand in hand.

**~*~*~*~**

After you and Sora finished the water war and were breathless from laughter, you both stood and admired the fireflies which still hung around to make the scene perfect. You sighed contentedly, not feeling this happy in a long time and Sora felt the same way. But, something you said bugged him.

'_Yeah I miss him…a lot_' Sora remembered, feeling something spark inside of him. A feeling that resented that Roxas guy you were searching for and formed a slight darkness inside of him.

"Oh, look!" you gasped softly, breaking Sora out of his thought. You stared at a couple of fireflies that hovered inches from you two. At the same moment, you and Sora reached out for the glowing bugs which resulted with yours and Sora's hands to be intertwined in a cage.

"We did it! We caught them!" you breathed happily.

"We did." Sora smiled at you, holding your hand slightly tighter.

You saw the little points of light struggling in the cage and felt them tickle your hand. "You think we should let them go now?" you stared at all the other free fireflies in the sky.

"Sure." Sora replied. Without letting go of your hand, he made a small opened that released the two fireflies into the serene night sky. You followed the couple until you couldn't distinguish them from the other fireflies.

You looked back at Sora, who gazed at you with such a softness that reminded you so much…of _him_…you let go of Sora's hands and avoided his bright blue eyes.

"We should go now. We'll probably get sick like this." You said, starting to head for land.

"Yeah, okay…" Sora said, a little disappointed that they couldn't prolong their stay here. He turned and looked at his jacket and remembered the earrings. He rushed to his jacket eagerly, feeling that this was the perfect moment to give the earring to you. But, as he searched all of his jacket pockets twice, even thrice, his face fell.

The earrings were gone.

"What's wrong?" you asked, looking at his expression.

"N-nothing." Sora muttered, getting up to head back to castle with you. He wondered where in the world the earrings could be, and who stole them.

The answer to both of those weren't very far…

**~*~*~*~**

Roxas stood by a building clouded in dark, which camouflaged him and his friend in their Organization uniforms. He was throwing something up and down like a ball. Except that it wasn't a ball.

It was a small black box.

"What are you gonna do with them?" Axel asked, his face covered by his hood.

"Give them back to her." Roxas said simply and Axel looked confused. "Except I won't tell her that they're from Sora…" he added.

"So in other words, you're going to take credit for what Sora got for her?" Axel asked.

"Exactly." Roxas replied, his smirk covered by his hood.

Axel frowned. This wasn't the Roxas that he knew…it was someone way different. And he didn't like this new person one bit.

**~*~*~*~**

"This is so slippery…" you complained as you walked in damp socks on the once well polished floor. You and Sora carried your sneakers in your hands, not wanting to get any mud on the expensive marble flooring.

"Not really, it's pretty okay for me." Sora said, walking comfortably on the marble floor. He was used to walking in different terrains and walking perfectly was just a result of his experience. Another thing you didn't have. You looked at his feet jealously.

"Well, that's because I have tiny feet compared to you." You pointed out.

"They _say_ that people tiny feet are supposed to be graceful." Sora said with a smirk and for a second you were flattered. At least you were before he said, "But look at you, I think they were lying."

"Hey!" you said defensively. "I can be graceful when I want to." You shouted defensively. To prove him wrong, you did a few pirouettes and ballet-like moves, which created a thrill in your stomach; the slippery floor caused you to go really fast, as if you were on an invisible skateboard. Unfortunately, the slippery floor also caused you to lose your footing and you stumbled magnificently.

Sora laughed hard and you turned a little pink. As Sora kept on cracking up, you slid silently over to the heavy wooden doors that lead to the Gummi Ship and pulled hard. The door didn't move.

"I think they're locked." You told Sora after tugging on the doors.

"Or maybe you're just not strong enough." Sora said, walking confidently over to the door. "Just stand and watch." He bragged as you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms, knowing that he wouldn't be able to open the doors. Sora pulled on the doors harder than you did, but the doors stayed adamant.

After a few more tries, Sora scratched the back of neck and turned to you with a goofy grin. "Uh….maybe you were right. They seemed locked to me." He said, as if he was the one to suggest the doors were locked in the first place.

"Right. As I was saying Mr. Macho, we need to get someone to open these doors for us." You said.

"Well, Donald's probably not here yet. " Sora muttered, ignoring your remark.

"And I haven't seen Goofy here either." You added, thinking. Then, you remembered a certain pair of chipmunk who said they were going to have an acorn feast. "Maybe we can ask Chip and Dale!"

"Right!" Sora agreed, but his face fell. "This castle's so big. It'll take forever to find them. I don't think we should split up either. You might get lost."

You sent a look at him and suggested, "Maybe we can use these." You pointed at your socks, "We can slide faster in them."

"I dunno. I don't want to risk you breaking bones or something." Sora teased with a grin.

You rolled your eyes at him and ignored his comment. "Aw, cmon, it'll be fun! I'll even race you." You said, knowing that Sora wouldn't be able to pass up a challenge.

Sora's eyes grew brighter and an overconfident smirk went across his face. "Sure, but don't feel bad when you lose. I _always_ win."

"There's a first for everything." You countered with a grin.

"We'll see about that." Sora said. "To the end of this hall, okay?"

"Right. On my count then…" you said, getting ready to race. "One…two…three…**go!**"

You pushed off the marble floor and used your socks to propel yourself forward as if you were ice-skate racing. There was a sudden thrill up your spine and adrenaline rushed through out your veins as you slid quickly down the hallway. But no matter how fast you went; Sora was always a few paces ahead of you. He soon reached the end of the hallway and threw his arms up in victory.

"I won!" he cheered, skidding to a stop, just barely hitting the wall. You sighed and tried to slow down, but the ice-like marble prevented you from doing so.

"Watch out!" you shouted, bracing yourself for the impact. Sora turned to see what you were worked up about and saw you speeding directly at him. Out of instinct he opened his arms wide and you flew into them, as if you were giving him a hug. For that second, you felt a sudden jump in your heart, the same kind you felt when you were with Roxas. You pulled away almost immediately.

"Sorry, I couldn't slow down!" you apologized, trying not to avoid his gaze; it would just remind you more of the guy you were searching for.

"No problem…" Sora muttered softly, hesitantly letting you go.

You turned to the next hallway that led further into the castle. "I bet Chip and Dale are thataway. Let's keep looking." You started to walk with Sora by your side.

"I suppose you don't want to race anymore, do you?" Sora teased with a familiar grin.

"Nah, I'm just not up for it now." You said, not wanting to continue the conversation. *_What was that all about?_* you thought about the little jump your heart did when you accidentally hugged Sora. *_Is it that I'm thinking of him too much or…_*

You chuckled at the thought, making Sora stare at you oddly. You…with _Sora_?! Not possible. Not in a million years.

"What's so funny?" the brunette asked with a faint smile, getting ready to laugh himself.

"No, it's nothing….don't worry about it…" you shook your head with a grin. *_Don't worry about it at all_* you thought.

Unfortunately for you, the reason you were laughing would be the very thing that would bother Sora.

Both you and Sora searched the castle thoroughly and, occasionally, get lost along the way.

"I coulda sworn we went along this way already…" Sora said, looking at his surrounds while scratching his head. You both were in an empty corridor with nothing but various pictures leering at you. They mostly had the King and Queen in them, but some even featured Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and some other smiling mad that you have never seen before. As you started studying the pictures with more detail, something else distracted you.

A slight tapping pressure went against and you turned to Sora. "What?"

"What 'what'?" he asked with an eyebrow raised slightly.

"Oh, I just thought…never mind." You said, shaking your head. Sora shrugged and kept on walking. Then, a light tapping pressure went against _Sora_ and he turned to _you_.

"Hmm?"

You looked at him blankly. "What?"

"Didn't you just…" Sora faltered when he saw your expression. "Forget it."

You turned back to your surroundings, looking attentively at the pictures that adorned the walls. Then, you felt it again. That same tapping pressure on your shoulder.

"Now what is it?" you asked Sora, a little annoyed.

"What is _what_?!" Sora asked, feeling the same way as you. You sent a _look_ at him and kept walking.

*_If he does that one more time, I swear…._* you thought, irritated. *_He won't have _hands _to tap anyone like that again!_*

At the same time, something tapped both yours and Sora's shoulders, causing the both of you to turn to each other angrily.

"_What __**is**__ it_?!" you both shouted at the same time. Then, seeing that the tapping sensation didn't come from either of you, you turned to see what it actually was. It was one of the castle's magical brooms, the ones with wooden hands. It was jumping up and down to attract both of your attentions.

"What do you think it wants?" Sora whispered to you. You shrugged in response. The broom started to point vigorously at the trail of dirt that was formed by yours and Sora's footsteps.

"Uh-oh, I think he's really angry…" you muttered and Sora nodded, a little frightened at the angry broom. Who knows what angry, magical furniture can do?

At that same moment, a group of other magical brooms walked in. They all pointed angrily at the mess on the floor and the first broom pointed at you and Sora. The group of brooms turned to you and balled up their hands into tight fists. You and Sora gulped.

"What do we do now…?" you asked, scared. The brooms approached you both, shaking their fists at you.

Sora grabbed your hand and your heart jumped as it did before. You looked at him quizzically. "On my count…" he muttered, getting ready to make a great escape. "One…two…three…**go!**"

He dragged you through the brooms, running the opposite direction. The brooms followed you angrily, like you and Sora were criminals and they were the police. Sora and you ran blindly, turning to random corners and running anywhere you both thought you would lose the broom. But no matter how fast you ran, or how many corners you turned, the brooms were always behind you both. Soon, you both ended up at the corridor where you started.

"It's a dead end!" you shouted, staring ahead at the locked door frantically.

"Not for long!" Sora shouted back as he whipped out his Keyblade. He pointed it at the door, and the Keyblade connected to it with a beam of light. The door made a clicking sound and opened slightly. You and Sora burst inside, and Sora locked the door behind him.

"Why…why didn't you do that earlier?!" you yelled, taking in large amounts of air. Sora tensed a little bit.

"It…just sorta occurred to me right then." Sora said in a cautious tone.

"It occurred to you _then_?!" you repeated, instantly flaring up. "Do you know what we got ourselves into because of you? I bet we can't even show our faces here without being chased by killer brooms now…!" and the rant went on and on, with Sora just nodding his head and not really paying attention to any word you were saying.

Actually, opening the door with his Keyblade was the first idea that popped into his head though there was a reason he didn't act on it; he wanted to spend more time with you. He thought that it would be nice if you two spend some more time together. Sora sighed heavily. This day wasn't going as he planned.

"...next time, remember this!" you huffed, finishing your rant. Your mood instantly changed when you caught Sora's disappointed one, and you instantly wished you bit your tongue. "What's wrong?" you asked, feeling guilty.

Sora automatically gave that same, cheery smile that you were used to and said, "Nothing."

"Nothing? Seriously?" you asked with an eyebrow raised, feeling something was off. Sora nodded and repeated, "Nothing."

"Okay then…" you shrugged off the subject. "I wonder what we're gonna have for dinner today. Goofy's not here to cook anything…"

"I can cook!" Sora volunteered immediately.

"I want something to _eat_ Sora." You joked, lightening the mood.

"What's that supposed to mean!? You don't think _I_ can cook??"

"No. I _know_ you can't cook." You laughed. Sora countered, and your playful argument went on as you both entered the Gummi Ship, not feeling that a certain person close to you was watching at the two of you with hateful eyes….

~*~*~*~

After a dinner consisting of just cereal, you and Sora split up and headed off to sleep.

"Good night!" you waved from your sofa, smiling brightly at Sora.

"Good night!" Sora smiled back, disappearing into his room. You slipped into the comfort of your soft sofa, relaxing every single tired muscle. You let out a content sigh and shut your eyes, letting flashes of today's events drift into your mind…the fireflies…the splash war...being chased by brooms…

In no time, you were asleep, not aware that a black shadow covered your unconscious body…

**~*~*~***~

The next started out as usual. Goofy was in the kitchen making whipping up something good to start the day. Donald, Chip and Dale were making preparations for the next world you all were landing at. Sora was still snoozing in his room. All was normal and usual, except for one, tiny little thing.

A tiny, little black box to be exact.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Okie doke, a big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this for me! ^^

This chapter isn't really what I expected it to be. I first thought that the firefly part was gonna take up the whole chapter, but it didn't so I had to add something else to make it longer, and the castle part popped up. It's still pretty short compared to my other chapters though =p

I actually like the part where they were bring chased best ^^It was kinda weird to write everything without being in an actual storyline world (like Hallow Bastion and Olympus Coliseum) so I'll be putting them in a world next chapter. I also really liked what I did about the earrings, it gave off an evil side of Roxas =p I thought I could do something extra but I wasn't sure what that actually was…=p

What about you guys? Any parts you liked or disliked? Thoughts about Roxas, Reina or Sora? Tell me all about it ^^

~narcotic-lullaby


	15. Helpless

_I wish I could give this to you when you were awake, but the time I have doesn't seem to allow that. Right after I'm done with this note, I'll be going to a bunch of different worlds, far from where you might be. It'll probably be a while till we see each other again, but don't worry. Keep me in your memory and I'll always be with you, in your heart as you will be in mine. _

_--Roxas _

Despair filled you as you read the note that accompanied the velvet box. You hand slightly crumpled the crisp, folded note as you read it for a second time, with your eyes lingering over the words '_It'll probably be a while till we see each other again…_'

How long was "a while"? It could be weeks—maybe even months for all you know—and you didn't want to wait that long for someone that you loved and were searching for. A determined fire flared up inside of you, making you fully energized to search the next world thoroughly for Roxas. Your eyes wandered from the note to the velvet box. Curiously, you opened the box and let out a surprised gasp.

Inside held the same, beautiful earrings you saw that the jewelry shop at Hallow Bastion. How did he know that these were the same, exact pair you wanted? You pushed the question to the back of your mind as you fingered the earrings fondly. You loved how they sparkled even in the dimmest of light, and you imagined wearing them at some special occasion or party. You wanted to try them on badly, but the only thing that prevented you from doing so was the fact that the earrings could be a nuisance if you all had to encounter Heartless at the world you landed on.

Unfortunately for you, there were more than just Heartless and Nobodies going to face you in the next world.

**~*~*~*~**

You shivered as you stepped out of the comfortable warmth of the Gummi Ship and into the unusually cold atmosphere of, as Chip and Dale called it, Port Royal. Maybe it was the eerie fog that hung over the old, weather beaten stone buildings and walkways, or maybe it was the dead silence of the place but you felt a strange darkness from this world. The moon kept peeking out of sheets of dark clouds, adding to the creepy feeling. It seemed that you all were on a tower of some sort; you were able to catch the view of an ocean not far from where you all were.

"This place is…kinda different" Goofy noted, looking around.

"_Really_ different." You emphasized, staying close to your friends. Suddenly, a sound of high pitched and horrified screams filled the air. The group rushed over to the railing to see what the commotion was about, but the fog clouded whatever went on below.

"Wonder what it is?" Sora said.

"Heartless and Nobodies?" Donald suggested.

"Organization XIII?" Goofy added.

"Well, only one way to find out…" you sighed, staring down at the darkened stairway to whatever was waiting for you all below.

**~*~*~*~**

"Aztec treasure, eh?" Pete asked, interested. The fat cat talked to a group of fierce but disheveled men who were from this world.

"Aye! And thanks to the curse put on it, we are neither among the livin' nor the dead." The captain of the group told Pete.

Pete raised an eyebrow. "Really? Ya seem like regular pirates to me." He said skeptically.

"Ah, but in the moonlight…" the captain muttered, looking up at the sky. The sheets of clouds parted for a minute, reveal the 'pirates' for what they actually were. The pirates turned into grotesque skeletons, with bits and pieces of clothing hanging on to their cursed bones. But within an instant, the moon disappeared behind the clouds and the pirates went back to looking normal again.

"Woah, now I get what you were sayin'!" Pete gasped, shocked and awed at the same time. "Well, if you see two doofuses and two brats holdin' Keyblades, steer clear. They got a kinda magic that don't belong in this world, see? And nobody knows what it'll do to ya. 'Specially when the moon's showing whatcha really are."

"A match for Barbossa, you say?" the captain spoke, amused. At that moment, you and the others rushed in, holding out your weapons at Pete and the pirates. You all didn't hear the conversation between them, but you knew if someone was that close to Pete without fighting them, they're on his side.

"Hey!" Sora shouted, calling for their attention.

"See there? I knew it!" Pete shouted, irritated. "Those are the punks I was tellin' ya about."

"Who're you calling punks?" you asked them tightly, staring around at all the pirates. Their number was far greater than yours, and they seemed tough too.

"Yeah! It's Sora, Reina, Donald and Goofy to you!" Sora countered.

"And don't you forget it!" Donald added, waving his wand angrily at them.

Barbossa laughed heartily. "That we won't. And we'll engrave it on your tombstone, to be sure."

His threat scared you, but Sora and the other stood there unfazed.

"Men! Half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest - bring me that medallion!" Barbossa commanded.

"Aye!" the pirates saluted, and broke up, leaving six pirates to deal with you all.

As overconfident as usual, Sora mocked, "Aw, we only get to stomp on a few of you?"

Before leaving with the other pirates, Barbossa laughed, sending a chill up your spine. You all broke up and handled the pirates individually.

Pushing back your nervousness, you went ahead and engaged in fighting with one of the pirates who were ganging up on Sora. You tried to slash his arm, but it seemed a barrier protected him, just like Hades in the Underworld. The most you could do was Cure others and fend the pirates off with random swings and slashes.

"It's no use!" you shouted over to your friends, "We can't beat them!"

"Aye, whaddya expect?" one of the pirates laughed, lunging an attack at you, which you swiftly dodged. Then, the clouds parted once more, revealing the pirate's true forms. You gasped in horror and shock; the skeleton that came in place of the human laughed at your expression.

"You best be sayin' yer prayers." One of the pirates taunted.

"Hey, watch out! They can see ya!" Pete shouted to the pirates, obviously not realizing that you all could hear him too. "Stay away from their magic!"

The pirates didn't even look at him. "What for?"

"Weren't you listening to me before?!" Pete hissed angrily. It made sense to everyone. To defeat them, you all had to use magic. You tensed a little; Goofy and Sora knew a fair amount of magic and Donald was a master at it. But you knew no magic except for Cure, not helpful at all against the enemy in this battle. Donald took charge of this battle and started sending bolts of lightning towards the pirates and Sora and Goofy used their own magic to fend off the pirates.

You were left idle and scared in this battle, and the pirates sensed the weakness in you. All Pete saw was that his team was getting beat up, so he decided to make a run for it, as always.

"Hey! This ain't over!" he yelled, showing a fist at you all. Meanwhile, the battle still raged on, and you were so unsure of what to do that you didn't realize you were being singled out, like a group of lions stalking their prey.

"Well, what do have here?" one tall pirate leered at you with rotten eyes. You were quite far from the rest of your group by then; you could barely hear them. A stench grew as two other pirates joined in, circling you. The moon hid behind the clouds again, making them seem normal.

"B-back off!" you threatened, swinging the Heartseeker blindly. The tall pirate just laughed mockingly and grabbed a hold of your wrist and pinned you against one of the stone buildings.

"Why should we, pretty little lady?" one of the pirates sneered as the others chuckled. The moon appeared, shining its light on the pirates, causing them to resume their cursed, rotten forms.

All of them, except for one.

The pirate who grabbed a hold of your wrist glanced around at his crew, looked up at the moonlit sky and then back at himself, puzzled. He still looked normal, as if there were no moon shining above.

"By the seven seas…" the pirate gasped in shock. You managed to break out of his grasp in his shock and attempted to make a run for it, when one of the pirates grabbed a hold of you again, this time with a steel grip. The clouds obscured the moon, making the pirates seem normal once more.

"Where do ya think _you're_ goin, missy?" the pirate breathed unpleasantly.

"Let go!" you demanded, trying to struggle yourself out.

"This once isn't like other wenches…" the pirate who grabbed you said, studying you. "She's different...I can feel it in her."

"She must have that magic that fat cat was talkin' about!" one of the pirates suggested and the other two nodded in agreement.

"And I say we take her straight to the captain!" the other roared and the other two joined in. "We might be able to use her to our advantage!"

Your blood pounded vigorously in your eyes and you went into a state of pure panic. Your mind went slowly blank and called out whatever came into your mind first.

"Sora! Help!" you screamed loudly. In a flash, the brunette looked up from the pirate he was fighting and turned to you. An angry fire lit up in his eyes as he knocked out the pirate with one, solid hit.

Seeing this, the pirate who grabbed you turned you around and quickly pulled your wrists behind your back. He placed a silver, rusty blade to your neck as he yelled, "Don't move or else she gets sent straight to Davy Jones' locker!"

The sharp dagger scraped your skin, making you too scared to even move an inch.

Sora immediately stopped in his tracks. "Let her go!" he commanded.

"Not a chance sonny! We're taking her straight to the cap'n!" one pirate shouted. Sora' eyes flickered from you, to the blade, to the pirate and his hands clenched into angry fists. He wanted to rip the pirate into a thousand pieces and throw them into the ocean.

"Take me instead!" Sora offered and all of the pirates laughed heartily. Your heart softened that Sora even considered trading places with you.

"Now why would you think we would trade a scrawny lad as yourself," the pirate jeered, holding you closer, "For a pretty maiden like her?"

"Let go of her!" Sora roared, taking an aggressive step forward.

"Don't you go any further!" the pirate shouted back digging the dagger deeper into your skin, causing a thin, red line to form on your neck. You yelped in pain.

"You two—" the pirate spoke to the other prates, "take care of this. It looks like he won't go without a fight."

"If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he gets!" one the pirates roared, immediately attacking him.

"You on the other hand are comin' with me." The pirate whispered, dragging you off somewhere else.

"Let go of me!" you shouted desperately, trying to struggle out of his grasp. You wanted to rush over to Sora and help him…and be with him…

"Oh, shut up!" the pirate scolded, annoyed by all of your struggling. He hit you hard on the head. The force was great enough to take you by surprise and you stopped resisting. You felt lightheaded and mustered what was remaining of your strength to utter one final word before unconsciousness.

"_Sora…_"

**~*~*~*~**

"Come on, let's move! They have Reina!" Sora shouted to his teammates when all of the pirates were finally down. He had never felt so angry in his life; just thought of that pirate touching you made Sora feel like he could murder him with his bare hands. Donald and Goofy struggled to keep up with Sora as they ran through the streets and alleys of the new world. They were a little tired from pirates and they've never seen Sora rush so quickly before.

It was as if something took over him.

Soon, the three encountered a small group of Shadow Heartless circling a young man who seemed helpless against them?

"What are they?!" he asked, taking a step away from them.

"Heartless!" Donald answered, taking his wand out.

Goofy turned to the young man. "Take cover!"

In no time, the group finished off the Heartless and the man came out of hiding.

"Well done! My own fencing skills are not to be ashamed of…" the man told the three, "But I've never encountered foes such as that before."

"Do ya really think we're that good?" Donald asked, feeling proud. Sora rolled his eyes at the duck.

"Did you see a pirate take a girl anywhere?" Sora asked urgently and the man's eyes widened.

"Yes I have! I'm sure they're taking Elizabeth to their ship!" the man exclaimed, confusing Sora.

"We're looking for another girl, but she was taken by the pirates too."

"Then I'm pretty sure they took her along with Elizabeth." The man said thoughtfully.

"Can you take us there…er…" Sora trailed off, not sure of what to call the man.

"William Turner." The man helped. "But call me Will."

"I'm Sora, this is Donald and that's Goofy." Sora introduced hastily. "Now, let's go!"

Will nodded and started heading into an alley with Sora, Donald and Goofy in tow. Though there were some minor squabbles with Heartless, the four reached the docks.

"We're too late!" Will gasped, staring at ship floating in the distance. "Now I'll never be able to find Miss Swann!"

"What do mean…?!" Sora asked. "There _has_ to be some way!"

"Don't be so sure of that. The Black Pearl is neigh uncatchable."

Another amused voice rang out, coming straight from another ship called _The Interceptor_. Aboard the ship was another man that seemed like a pirate, but with none of the darkness that came from the other ones. Will recognized the man immediately.

"You…what are you doing aboard _The Interceptor_?" he asked as he walked over to the ship. "She's off limits to civilians."

"Ah, fortunate I'm going to commandeer her then. She'll make a fine pirate ship." The man said fondly.

"A pirate…?" Sora repeated, wondering if this guy were as bad as the rest. He sure didn't seem like it.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." The pirate said, busied making preparation to the ship.

An idea popped into Will's mind. "Take me with you. Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann. I got you out of that jail cell, Sparrow. Do this and your debt's repaid."

Jack shook his head. "You'll have to win fair lady's heart alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"C'mon, Captain!" Sora urged, desperate to get to the Black Pearl.

Will, however took a different approach. "Are you sure you can sail her, all on your own?"

Jack took in the words and thought carefully. After he made his decision, he stood up on the railing and said, "You've a point there."

Will took this as a 'yes' and boarded the ship. "Thanks, Sparrow." Will smiled.

"_Captain_ Sparrow." He corrected pointing at him.

"I'm Sora. This is Donald and Goofy." Sora introduced.

"I'm Will Turner." Will added, causing Jack's eyebrow to raise.

"That would be short for William, I imagine." Jack said, intrigued. "Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, eh?"

Will looked at him a little suspiciously. "Yes…"

"Uh-huh…." Jack nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well then you get us ready to make way. I've some effects to liberate."

"Aye-aye! But hurry!" Will said, wanting to set sail as soon as possible.

Jack didn't even look at him and waved. "Naturally."

"What're we waiting for, let's go!" Sora urged Donald and Goofy. Goofy smiled kindly at his anxiousness.

"Don't worry, Sora, I'm sure she'll be okay. Reina's a strong girl."

"Yeah." Donald said, trying to lighten the mood, "And I'd be more worried about the pirates if I were you. She must be annoying them enough to make them _wish_ they were dead."

Sora smiled lightly at his friend's efforts, but they didn't actually help one bit. He wanted to see you safe and sound with his own eyes before he could do anything else. Anger boiled inside of him as he thought of the pirates who took you away. Thankfully, he didn't have to dwell on it because at that moment Jack approached them.

"What do you make of this Will?" he asked.

Sora shrugged. "Dunno. We just met him."

Jack thought for a second, lost in his own world. "Hmm…I think my luck's about to change."

Sora looked at him oddly and boarded the ship with Donald and Goofy. He was determined to rescue you, no matter what it took.

**~*~*~*~**

Green eyes fluttered open as you blinked several times, trying to get used to the bright light. You groaned in pain; it felt like you were waking up with a cold.

"Glad to see you're awake." A female voice told you.

You turned your head slowly to see a pretty blond in an old-fashioned yellow dress. She was older than you, about in her twenties.

"Who are you?" you asked, looking around. You and the lady were in a large, rickety room with a large table heaped with delicious food.

How the **heck** did you get here?! You couldn't remember anything at all…everything in your mind felt fuzzy and blank.

"My name is Elizabeth…" the woman hesitated. "…Swann."

You managed to stand up shakily. "I'm Reina…where are we?"

"Aboard the Black Pearl." She spat, "Those vile pirates took you and me as hostage."

Hostage…? Pirates…? The words poked around at your memories until the right one jolted your senses.

"Pirate!" you cried suddenly, "We have to get outta here and—"

"I'm afraid that's too late." Elizabeth frowned, pointing to the end of the room. At first, it just seemed to be pitch black out of the glass windows but when the moon came into view and shined its light against the choppy seas, you knew you were too late.

"What do they want from us?!" you yelled out of frustration.

"That would be my question to answer." A deep voice chuckled from behind you. You narrowed your eyes at the tall, disheveled pirate standing at the doorway. "Allow me to introduce myself." The pirate made a short mock bow and said, "I'm Barbossa, captain of the Black Pearl."

You and Elizabeth glared at him as he walked in. His huge, torn hat and wiry hair made him seem taller than he actually was, therefore more dangerous. You whipped out the Heartseeker immediately, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh, so _this_ must be the magic the others were talking about." Barbossa said in surprise and amusement.

You took a glance at the blade. "It is, so let us go before I—" you started to threaten but the pirate cut you off.

"That blade can do us no harm when we're not in the moonlight. So, it'll be better for you if we don't resort to violence." Barbossa interrupted, walking over to the head of the table. "Let's take a seat and start feastin', shall we?"

You and Elizabeth stood rooted, glowering at him. "Sit." Barbossa beckoned, this time in a more hard voice and you and Elizabeth listened by taking a seat close to each other, but a few seats away from him.

"Release us. You have your trinket." Elizabeth started, eyeing the golden medallion the Barbossa had in his hands. "I am of no use to you anymore and neither is she."

"Now you're in no position to be sayin' that, Miss Swann." Barbossa replied. "This is no trinket, missy. This is cursed Aztec gold. One of eight hundred and eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself."

"But then what use am I to _you all_?" you asked, putting a disgusted emphasis on 'you all'.

"I'm sure anybody that can conjure magical blades and weapons out of thin air is of anybody's advantage, young miss. Especially us pirates."

Your mind raced. This guy was probably thinking you could make a bunch of Heartseekers, which isn't possible at all; there was only one Heartseeker and you were its chosen. "It's not what you think." You started explaining but the pirate once again cut you off.

"I'm sure it isn't to you." said Barbossa with a sarcastic smirk. "But to the undead, it is more treasure than that cursed gold."

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa." Elizabeth said in almost bored voice.

"That's exactly what I thought. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found 'cept for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all! We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drinks and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize…" Barbossa explained, getting up, "the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now... we are consumed by it"

"How very sad for you." You spat sarcastically. He chuckled mirthlessly as he went on.

"There is only one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be gathered and restored to the stone chest. And the blood of every soul who touched a piece o' the treasure must be repaid." Barbossa went over to the window, overlooking the moonlit sea. "Miss Turner! For ten years we've searched every league of these waters, every town and village - preying on sailors and settlers alike! Eight hundred and eighty-one pieces we found, but despaired of ever finding the last. All those years, you been safe in your bed, readin' your pirate stories, dreamin' of adventures on the high seas - we've endured torments worse than death itself! But now, thanks to ye, we have the final piece - at last. When this medallion is restored to the chest, we'll be free to roam the seas as men. No longer will we be ghosts!"

"And…the blood that's to be repaid?" Elizabeth asked in a shaky voice.

Barbossa turned to you two with an evil smirk. "That's why there's no sense to be killin' ya Miss Turner….yet."

Before you could stop her, Elizabeth sped out of the room out to the pirate-filled deck. You tried to follow her to defend her, but Barbossa pushed you aside, locking the door behind him as you went.

"Let me out!" you screamed, pounding on the door. "Let me outta here!"

But no matter how much you hit the door or screamed, the same fact hit you:

You were trapped. With murderous pirates just waiting outside that door, making you scared to break down the door.

**~*~*~*~**

"Here we are—" Jack told everyone proudly as they walked off the ship to a gloomy, isolated island that took a while to get to, especially in this fog. Jagged rocks and thick fog made the place feel like Sora was walking into a graveyard.

"You all stay here." Jack commanded. "Young Turner and I will rescue the ladies. "

"Why we can't go?" Sora objected instantly.

"You're to guard the ship o' course." Jack said, as if he was handing an important job to Sora and the others. Sora didn't seem convinced.

"Besides, I think it'll be better if they operate with less people. It won't attract as much attention." Goofy added and Sora nodded. Jack and Will headed off and out of sight.

**~*~*~*~**

"What's taking them so long?" Sora said impatiently.

"Ya think we should go check?" Goofy asked and the three went off into the caves. At that same moment, Will and Elizabeth came running in, chased by two pirates.

"Where's Reina?" Sora asked immediately.

Elizabeth gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "Oh my! She's still at the Black Pearl!"

"Where is it?" Sora prompted and Elizabeth pointed to a direction opposite _The Interceptor_. Donald, Goofy and Will started fighting the pirates. Without another word Sora sprinted over and around the sharp rocks and rushed quickly, hoping to get there before the….

He halted as he encountered the ship and saw what was on it.

….before the pirates get there.

As he took a closer looks, he saw that they were the same pirates that took you away, plus several more. Anger flared up inside him again as he dashed up aboard the ship, his Keyblade out. He was ready to beat these pirates into a pulp.

"Oh wouldja look at this?" once pirate said, hitting another on the arm and pointing towards Sora. It was the same one who put a knife to your neck. His eyes raised in amusement as he saw Sora's expression.

"When will you learn? Yeh just can't beat the dead!"

"No, I can't." Sora growled in a voice unlike his own. "But I can make you _wish_ you were dead."

Suddenly, the whole atmosphere of the ship turned serious. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a fact." Sora said simply, tightening his grip on the Keyblade. "Where is she?"

"Don't worry about her anymore, she isn't yours. She isn't yours anymore, lad." A pirate chuckled, and laughter rang throughout the ship.

"Yeah," one pirate agreed, turning aggressive, "And we'll make sure visit your grave after we're done with you!"

The pirate lunged, attempting an attack. But before he could even touch Sora, a change happened: Sora let go what was restraining and let it take over him, something that he fell into only once before.

Darkness.

**~*~*~*~**

You sat in a ball-like position as a cloud of despair rained over your head. You felt sick to your stomach with longing. Longing for normal-ness and going back to the happy times you had before this stupid journey. Back to the times where Olette and you had daylong shopping sprees and where you had prank-wars with Hayner. Back to the times where you had pretend photo shoots with Pence and the most stressful thing was next day's homework.

And mostly, you wanted to be back with Roxas….

Suddenly, a horrified scream pierced the silent air behind the door. Curious, you pressed you ear to the door, wondering where the screams came from. Something struck your heart. What if it was Elizabeth?

As you listened closely, you realized it wasn't a girl's voice; it was several male voices, most likely the pirates. You gulped nervously and wondered what was beyond the door and whether or not it was on your side.

Eventually, the shouts and screams died down and there was nothing but silence. You wondered if it was searching for you. You stood up at once and summoned the Heartseeker; you didn't want to face it while you trapped in this room. Taking a risk, you smashed the door open and freed yourself.

Outside were bodies of groaning pirates on the ground and some were disfigured, like plastic surgery gone horribly wrong.

At first, all you saw were shadows and the dim lights of the lamps but as you blinked and cleared your vision, you saw Sora standing amidst the pirates' bodies. He was rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache and you were surprised to see that he took all of the pirates by himself.

"Sora!" you exclaimed with a large smile. You ran into him, giving him a hug, something he welcomed warmly. He felt relieved seeing you safe and sound and you felt protected, warm, and happy in his arms.

Even though you didn't realize it, this was exactly where you wanted to be: in the arms of someone who didn't want to let you go.

_**!Author's Note!**_

Many thanks to XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this!!! I appreciate it!

This chapter was probably my favorite one to write. I know it was a little clichéd, but with all the pirates and stuff going on, I couldn't resist~! I felt like it was kind boring in the middle and it went all cheesy toward the end, though =p

So, what do you think happened to Sora? Do you guys think Reina will have (or has) feelings for Sora? Why do you think that pirate didn't turn to his cursed form while he was touching Reina?? Tell me all about it~!

~narcotic-lullaby


	16. Home

*_What the __**heck**__ happened to me back there?!_* Sora thought, as he took a bite of bread in the empty dining room of _The Interceptor_. He and you made it to the ship at the right time, before more of those….

Sora tried to divert his mind before he turned angry again.

Anger…that's what triggered _it_. His darkness, his other side, the side he never knew he had still resting in him. When he was in that state, it was as if he couldn't control himself anymore and the anger and darkness took over him. He didn't even realize what was going on until every single pirate fell and…until he saw you.

At first, he was terrified to see how you would react seeing him in the condition. Thankfully, he changed back at almost the same second you stepped out of the room you were held in and he hoped he would never have to be in the same state again.

Sora took a final swig of water and left the room, up to the deck to see you, Donald and Goofy discussing something important.

"…So, the pirate changed when you let go of him?" Goofy asked and you nodded. "That's odd…"

"What's odd?" Sora asked as he approached you three.

"Well, you know how the prates change under the moonlight? One that grabbed me didn't change until he let me go." You explained and Sora put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Well, maybe because you have a pure heart. Maybe since they're cursed with darkness, the curse lifted for a while since you have the light to balance it out." Sora pointed out.

"Right!" Goofy exclaimed in realization as it made sense. He turned to you, "It's just like what Yen Sid said. You have a light in your heart that's stronger than the seven princesses combined, remember?"

"Still, it doesn't make sense…" Donald said, and all eyes turned to him. You tilted your head confusedly; it made perfect sense to you.

"What?" Sora asked.

"That someone in their right mind would want to kidnap _Reina_. I mean, of all people!" Donald sniggered, causing laughter to burst around your group.

"Be grateful Donald that they kidnap _you_, Donald, 'cause if they did, you'd probably be roasting in an oven by now." You countered, causing more laughter to erupt in your group. For a split second, you felt like you were back at Twilight Town with Hayner, Olette, Pence and Roxas.

Just then, Will and Elizabeth walked out of the Main Room of the ship, looking slightly confused and unsure.

"Hey…" Goofy muttered, realizing something. "Where's Jack?"

At once, Will looked sheepish and Elizabeth was confused.

"Jack?" she repeated.

"He's another pirate whose help we used to rescue you." Will answered, stalling on Goofy's question.

At once, you were interested. "So, where is he?" you asked, a little excited to meet a pirate who didn't want to kidnap you, a _good_ pirate (though you doubted anyone titled as a 'pirate' could ever be good).

"Well…" Will started, looking a little guilty. Will went on to narrate a long story about he doubted Jack to be using him, to hitting Jack on the head with an oar so hard that he became unconscious, to rescuing Elizabeth and making a run for it without thinking about Jack.

"…I had to," Will finished. "Jack's no fairy tale pirate. The real ones aren't to be trusted."

You frowned and glanced back at the cave, which was still in your visibility even after making sail. You hoped, whoever this Jack guy was, that he was alright and not trapped by those evil pirates...

"Reina…" Elizabeth called you, breaking you out of your thoughts. She looked a little worried about something.

"What's wrong?" you asked her. A babble of conversation broke out around you all, so you had to listen hard to hear what Elizabeth was whispering.

"That's what I wanted you talk to about. It's Will." She said, confusing you.

"Will?" you repeated, glancing at him. He was talking to Sora and the others about tactics to block an enemy. "What about him?"

"His last name is Turner. It is he who the pirates want, not me." She muttered sadly. "The blood of a pirate runs in him."

That statement confused you. "Wait, so why did they take you if it's Will they need?"

"I lied to them." Elizabeth answered and something touched your heart. It was cute to see people risk themselves for someone else they really love and care about.

"Then how did you end up with the medallion?" you pressed, feeling that you still haven't heard the whole story.

"When we found Will years ago, he came along with this tied around his neck. I've kept it because I was afraid he was a pirate. But now…" she trailed off, looking defeated. "What am I going to do? The pirates are going to be after the medallion and I don't want to lose him…"

You gave a reassuring look and were about to tell her that you all escaped the pirates so everything would be okay when a shout interrupted you.

"Hey, look!" Donald cried, pointing to a hazy figure in the distance. Everyone rushed to the railing for a better look.

It was the _Black Pearl_! And it was gaining pretty quickly on you all!

"What now?!" you asked frantically. You thought you didn't have to face the pirates again and you were scared to confront them again.

"Don't worry." Sora said in a low growl. He already had the Keyblade out and a dark look clouded his eyes.

"I wonder what Jack would do?" Goofy muttered, trying to think like a pirate.

"I'm not sure." Will said. "I suppose he'd run for it."

At that moment, a huge force rumbled the ship as if a cannonball hit it. Everyone fell over from the sudden force and Will even rolled over the railing, into the darkness.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted, staring down at the railing. Goofy pulled her down in case of another cannon ball attack.

"Everyone, get down!" Sora commanded. Everyone steeled themselves for another attack, which indeed happened. Just inches from you, the medallion fell, glittering and ready to be taken by the pirates. You grabbed it at once and then turned to Sora.

"What do we do?" you asked, braving yourself for the worst.

"We're just gonna have to fight!" Sora shouted back over the loud arrival of the undead pirates. Sora realized what he said and remembered that you had no effect against them when they weren't under the moonlight and especially when you didn't have magic. "Stay by my side, okay?" he whispered, and you nodded shakily in response, immediately intimidated by all of the pirates.

Pirates approached you all with their weapons out threateningly. At once, Donald sent a storm of lightning bolts, weakening the opposing crew from afar. Using the pirates' daze as an advantage, Sora and Goofy lunged at them, using a variety of slashes and lunges to defeat them while you hit back any bombs the pirates threw at you all, just like if you were playing baseball. You were happy that you could be of some use, but you still wished that you could perform some type of offensive magic, even if it was minor.

When the last pirate fell, your group went into a state of premature celebration.

"Hooray!" Donald jumped up and down ecstatically.

"We beat the pirates!" Sora pumped his fist into to the air, staring proudly at the defeated pirates.

A deep familiar voice rang from behind you, sending fear up your spine. "Now did ya, laddie?"

"Jack!" Sora shouted at the same time you screamed, "Elizabeth!"

Both of you were shocked to see your friends standing there, though both of them were there for different reasons.

During your shock, a whole fresh group of strong pirates encircled your group, and chances of winning against them seemed slim, and they must've been the same ones that captured Elizabeth when you all were fighting. Apparently the other disheveled man with a red bandana had to be Jack, also captured by the pirates.

"Now, I'll be having back the medallion." Barbossa said, staring at what was around your neck. When you clutched it possessively and sent a look saying '_You'll never have this!_' Barbossa waved his hand at his crew and they placed sharp daggers to Elizabeth's and Jack's neck. "Unless it's more important than their lives, give me that medallion!"

At once you caved in; you've already been in that situation and you didn't want anyone else to be in it to. You took off the necklace, but someone prevented you from giving it to the pirates.

"Barbossa!" a familiar voice shouted through the tension. You all looked up, eager to see who it was.

"Will…!"Elizabeth shouted in relief, happy seeing that he was alive and well.

Will sent a glance at her and continued, still standing on the railing. "They go free!"

Barbossa approached him, looking very amused. "What's in your head, boy?"

"They go free…" Will repeated, pointing the gun at Barbossa while thinking hard.

"Go ahead, boy! Shoot! We can't die!" Barbossa shouted.

"You can't…" Will said, pointing the gun to his head. "But I can! My name is Will Turner! My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner! His blood runs in my veins!"

At this news, Barbossa's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"On my word, do as I say," Will threatened jumping down from the railing, "Or else I'll pull the trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' locker!"

"Name your terms…." Barbossa said cautiously, as if he were planning something.

"Release Elizabeth…and Sora, Reina, Donald and Goofy too!" Will said, glaring at the captain.

Barbossa waved his hand and Elizabeth was released. "Anythin' else?" he asked.

Jack began mouthing, '_Me! Save ME! What are you waiting for?!_' and gesturing at himself, though Will took no notice.

"Leave—now!" Will commanded and Jack's shoulders slumped as he shook his head.

Barbossa swept into a low, mock bow saying, "Agreed. Leave we shall." But when he looked up, an evil smirk went across his face. "But the Heartless stay!"

Out of nowhere, Pete hit Will in the back of the head, and hoisted him on his shoulder as teams of Heartless appeared, encircling you all along with the pirates.

All of you were in no shape to fight, especially after the last battle and there were too many enemies to even know where to begin. The foes approached closer…and closer…

"No fair!" you shouted.

~*~*~*~

Everyone sat in a furious silence, angry from being double crossed by Jack. All of you were individually tied up by a thick set of ropes, facing each other in a circle. The roped that bound you all cut into your skin if you tried to struggle out of them, making everyone _extremely_ angry.

"Good work, Barbossa!" Pete laughed from the deck. "Who knew it'd be _this_ easy?"

"Barbossa, you coward!" Elizabeth hissed.

"That's the last time I trust a pirate!" Sora shouted in anger.

Not long after, a pirates voice was heard saying, "The powder kegs are ready, captain!" Terror struck your heart. Was this the end?

Barbossa peered down with a satisfied glance and said, "I bid ye farewell!"

"What are we gonna do!?" Donald asked aloud, feeling hopeless.

"We're gonna be blown into smithereens!" Goofy said hysterically, causing you to freak out as well.

You met Sora's worried blue eyes and whispered, "I'm scared…."

He scooted closer to you so both of your shoulders touched. "We'll make it through this." He whispered back, making you feel immediately safe and protected. He tried to struggle through the binding, but every attempt always resulted in bruised arms.

"Why struggle mate?" Jack asked as he watched Sora. "A pirate knows when to surrender."

"Are you serious, Jack?!" Elizabeth and Donald asked desperately.

"Your average pirate anyway." Jack said, listening closely to what was going outside. When he found that Barbossa and the others were gone, made a little movement with his hand and freed himself with a hidden dagger. "First, we've got to see to the gunpowder. I'm not about to lose this ship."

"I still don't plan to trust pirates again." Sora spat bitterly.

"Wise policy, lad." Jack agreed, starting to cut the ropes that bound everyone else.

When everyone was free, you all went up to the deck to see Heartless and huge kegs of gunpowder being lit. Everyone decided to split up and tackle different things at once. You and Jack took care of the kegs while fighting through the Heartless while Sora, Donald and Goofy tried to call the attention of Heartless so they wouldn't be in your way.

"All clear!" Sora announced and Jack sped up to the wheel.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship." Jack said in a determined tone, looking off into the sea. "But I'll be havin' her back soon."

~*~*~*~

"Now let's be tryin' this again!" Barbossa called out to his crew as he stood atop a huge mound of treasure with Will by his side. "The last of the Aztec treasure has been returned. And now, the blood will be repaid to free us from this curse forever! This time for sure!" He was about to stab Will straight in the heart when a loud sound stopped him.

"Ahoy! Treasure, mateys!" Sora shouted happily, always wanting to say that.

"It's not possible…" Barbossa breathed in disbelief.

"Not _probable_." Jack corrected.

"We're alive," Donald started.

"_And_ we're pirates!" you finished, making Donald glare at you for taking away his spotlight.

"Captain Jack Sparrow!" Jack said, stepping up.

"Sora!" Sora added.

"Reina!" you grinned at the pirates' expressions.

"Donald!" the duck shouted, waving his wand threateningly.

"Goofy, too!" Goofy said, adding a little wave.

"So you wanna play pirate, eh?" Barbossa said in an angry voice. "Best save the playacting for the nursery. After them!"

At once, Barbossa's crew obeyed and charged at your group. You all followed the same strategy you all performed at the ship, keeping you busy. With Donald's powerful spells and Goofy and Sora's strong attacks, the pirates were defeated pretty quickly.

"No more playacting now!" Sora muttered as he finished off the last pirate.

"Thanks, guys." Will said, getting down from the mound of gold.

Looking around Goofy noticed someone missing. "Uh, where's Jack?"

The metallic clinks of swords caught everyone's attention and you saw Jack and Barbossa in a furious duel. Both of them were superior in skill, and the battle was nail-biting to watch.

"Jack, get him!" Goofy cheered.

Jack turned around for a second, distracted."Huh?"

"Jack! Look out!" you shouted, as you saw Barbossa raise his sword once more.

"You're a fool, Jack Sparrow." Barbossa muttered in satisfaction as he plunged his blade into Jack, causing all of you to gasp in horror. Jack staggered backward going straight into a shaft of moonlight, causing Barbossa to widen his eyes in shock and everyone else to cheer. Jack wasn't dead, though he turned into a cursed skeleton.

Jack looked at himself peculiarly as he studied his new, bony form. "That's interesting…." He muttered as he took out a gold medallion and twirled it around with his fingers, causing the reflecting light to flash in Barbossa's shocked eyes. He turned and did what seemed like a smirk to Barbossa.

Barbossa shook in anger as he yelled, "Show yourself, Pete! The tide has changed!"

"See! I told ya you'd be needin' old Pete!" the fat cat shouted. Pete whistled and darkness engulfed the place, but not before revealing four large, lizard Heartless.

"You handle Barbossa!" you shouted over to Sora. "I'll take care of the Heartless!"

Sora nodded and went off to join Donald and Goofy who were fighting Barbossa. You turned around and tried to sense a small movement in the shadows. After searching for a second, you saw a glance of the beady eyes of the Heartless and went after it, using the darkness that radiated off of it to guide the way.

You used all the previous experience you had from fighting you had and gave it all you had into this battle, to make it up for not being to be of a lot of use in the fights with the pirates. As defeated each of the Heartless, moonlight seemed to filter into the cavern, making the battle easier for Sora and the others.

"This aint over!" Pete shouted, and ran away as he saw all the Heartless defeated.

When you were done with that, you turned to see how the battle with Barbossa was going on. At that moment Jack was fighting him and it seemed that he was having the upper hand, though there was a bright red stain on his hand. Jack knocked Barbossa over on a rock, and Barbossa struggled to get back up.

"Right, care to surrender, Barbossa?" Jack asked in a mockingly polite voice. Barbossa drew out his sword angrily again, not wanting to give up.

"Well, enough of this, then." Jack shrugged, throwing his sword to the ground and pulling out a gun. "Let's say we call this a draw, eh?"

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell ya?" Barbossa had a hint of laughter in his voice. Jack shot him immediately and threw a medallion to Will, who caught it. Barbossa laughed heartily, but was cut off by Will, who said, "Laugh while you can, Barbossa!"

Will had a knife in his hand, and he held the medallion over the ancient chest. He dropped the two bloodstained pieces, and all eight hundred and eighty two pieces were where they were supposed to be. The curse was finally lifted.

Barbossa stared down at his chest as blood—real blood, after so long—spilled out of him. "I feel…cold…" he muttered softly before he fell down, never to get back up.

The curse was finally over.

~*~*~*~

"What now, Jack?" Will asked you all exited Isla de Muerta, feeling extremely happy.

Jack smiled at his ship. "Whatever I want, now that the Pearl's mine again."

"That she is. Thank you, Jack." Will smiled, outstretching his hand to Jack. Jack ducked and covered his head in fear.

When Will gave him an odd look, he straightened up embarrassedly and said, "I didn't want ye hittin' me again, mate."

"Hey, Jack. Good luck." Sora said with a smile.

"And remember to be good!" Donald reminded him.

"I'm off." Jack nodded, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted happily, running off of the ship. Jack, thinking that she was running to him, outstretched his arms only to be disappointed. She ran right past his and into Will's open arms.

You smiled warmly at the scene. "Good for them!"

"Uh-huh!" Goofy nodded. Sora's eyes wandered to you and then looked quickly back when he realized Donald was looking at him.

"Hey, Sora, how come your face is all red?" Donald pointed out teasingly.

"What?! I'm not red!" Sora said, touching his face as he turned bright red.

"Are too!" you joined in the teasing. "Aw, I know who you're thinking about!"

To Sora's relief, he was spared from further embarrassment when Jack pulled out his compass. It shivered and glowed as it rose in midair, connected by a beam of light from your Heartseeker. Sora locked the Keyhole that appeared, opening a gate to a new world.

"You know, for a minute there…" Sora turned to Donald with a familiar smile, wanting to get revenge on Donald. "I was afraid we were gonna lose Donald to the curse of the treasure!"

"Me too!" Goofy admitted.

"What?!" Donald cried in disbelief. Before Donald could retort, you cut in.

"Hey, guys, how are we gonna get back to the Gummi Ship? It's still parked out at Port Royal and I doubt Chip and Dale could pick us up at this cave."

"And we need get back to main land too; the Interceptor isn't in any state to set sail." Will added, overhearing your conversation.

"You're right…" Goofy trailed off as you all turned to the Black Pearl. On it, it seemed like Jack was having a hard time setting up the ship on his own. He was tangled up by ropes and cursed the pirates who last occupied the ship. He saw you all staring at him and asked, "What?!"

"Looks like you need some help!" Will chuckled, walking over to the ship. Everyone else followed, laughing at the sight of Jack.

~*~*~*~

After Jack managed to untangle himself, everyone went into the dining room where you were once trapped and started feasting on the food left by Barbossa's pirates, which was actually there to celebrate the pirates' assumed victory. Through the much needed feasting (you were starving!), you realized that Sora left early. Curious, you followed him outside.

You sound him leaning against the railing looking off into the shimmering sea, reflecting the light of the bright moon.

"Gorgeous…" you breathed, standing next to him and staring at the sea.

"I know, thank you." Sora said cockily, touching his face in a model-like position, making you laugh.

"I was talking about the sea, stupid." You grinned.

"Yeah, that's nice too…" Sora said, a dreamy look appearing in his eyes, making him look nostalgic.

"So, whatcha thinking about?" you asked.

"Home." He said simply, not taking his eyes off of the sea. "We used to have a sea back home too, 'Cept that it was way better there than here." His smile faltered into a sad expression.

"You miss it, don't you?" you asked, totally understanding how he was feeling. You felt like you would give anything to go back to Twilight Town with Roxas and live normally like before this journey. Not that you wouldn't miss being in new worlds... just the desire for normalcy was greater than going around to different worlds facing who knows what.

"Yeah…" Sora said.

"Me too…" you said, sitting on the railing. "I always think how it would be like without this stupid journey."

"Well, it's not that stupid…" Sora muttered, looking at you.

"How?" you asked, a little shocked. "Without it, you'd probably still be your friends at your island." *_And I'd probably still be with Roxas…_* you thought.

"Yeah, but with it, I'm able to see new world I've never even imagined were there. I've got to meet new people, new friends…Donald, Goofy…and most of all," he looked at you with his sweet blue eyes. "I've got to meet you."

You felt a faint pink spread across your cheeks as you met his eyes. He gave you a look that you've never seen before, a special glance that was meant for you and you only. You felt your heart rate increase slightly.

"I haven't actually thought of that way before…." You mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"I have. And I'm grateful for every minute I have with you." Sora smiled, making your heart melt.

"Me too." You said with a soft smile.

After a short pause, however a mischievous smile crept across Sora's lips. "Do ya know why I'm _really_ grateful though?"

"Why?"

"I'm happy to finally find someone who has less intellect than I do."

"Hey! I'm not _that_ stupid, you know!" you exclaimed, the warm feeling vanishing at once.

Sora grinned. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I mean what I say." You retorted. A frown fell on your face as you thought about something. "But you're right. If I were smart, I'd probably learned magic by now and never got myself kidnapped."

"It won't happen again." Sora said seriously, seeing your expression. "Hey, I'll even teach you some magic if you like."

"You will?" you said, looking up at him hopefully.

"Of course I will. Promise." Sora smiled, stretching out his pinky.

"You better keep that promise." You said, intertwining your pinky with his, "I don't want to get kidnapped again like that."

"Don't worry about it." Sora said in his patented goofy grin. "You have your superhuman sidekick! I'll protect you no matter what."

"That's another reason to learn magic then." you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes.

"Oh please. You know you wouldn't have lasted one minute with Heartless without me." Sora bragged, and even though you would've went out with Seifer than admit it, he was probably right.

"Whatev. You know my awesome skills make you jealous." You lied with a goofy smile of your own.

"No, I wasn't surprised at all. I knew the Heartless would run away quickly after they saw your mask— er, I mean face." Sora joked, recalling that day you were at Hallow Bastion.

"Sora!" you shouted, chasing after him, trying to get a swing at him.

You chased him all across the ship, causing laughter, happiness, and wonderful memories to be etched into your memory forever.

~*~*~*~

"That's funny…" a man wrapped in red cloth from head to toe spoke into the murky darkness spoke to his companion, whose face was clouded by shadows. There were several computers in front of the two, giving some light to the dark room. They had different diagrams on them, some of them with a girl and some of them with a heart.

"What?" the other figure asked.

"Her heart seemed to be clearing of darkness and yet…" the man in red turned to his friend. "She still doesn't seem to remember you."

"She will, in time." The other figure replied coolly. "And when she does, I'll be there for her."

~*~*~*~

"Aw man, I was so close!" you exclaimed, waving around the Heartseeker for the millionth time, in vain. It was the next day and you and Sora were in the Gummi Ship trying to practice offensive spells, just like he promised he'd teach you.

"Give it one more try." Sora urged with the utmost patience. He knew how you felt; he was there at one point.

"Forget it. I'll just stick to not using magic." You sighed, getting a little frustrated. Donald, Goofy and Sora were able to do it, why not you?

"You can do it, Reina!" Chip squeaked, observing your attempts with Chip on the couch. Jiminy Cricket was by his side, wanting to record the first time you've ever casted an offensive spell.

"Thanks, Chip!" You smiled, feeling a little refreshed by the chipmunks' cuteness. They were so adorable! At that moment, Donald entered the main room from the Front.

"So, casted any spells yet? Let's see what you've done." Donald said, making you fee l like you've been pushed into the spotlight.

"Right. Sure…" you gave a little wave to the Heartseeker and chanted, "Fire!"

Nothing happened.

"Well, better practice. A lot. If you want to be as good as me, that is." Donald bragged, feeling thoroughly smug about it since he knew you couldn't retort. Sora crossed his arms angrily at Donald's retreating back.

"Let me show you how a _real_ fire spell is casted." He muttered, getting a good aim at the duck's tail. "Fire!"

As planned, Donald's tail caught on fire and he ran like a maniac around the Ship, yelling, "Help! Help!"

Finally, (while you, Sora, Chip, Dale and Jiminy were cracking up) Goofy exited the kitchen to see what the clamor was about and saw what was going on. He rushed back into the kitchen and grabbed a bucket of water and poured it on Donald, soaking the already angry duck.

"**Sora!!!**" Donald jumped, his face contorted into pure anger as he brought out his wand. Sora widened his eyes and started running away as Donald started to zap random spells at Sora. Chip and Dale instigated the chase while Jiminy and Goofy tried to stop it.

And you…you just stood and realized something. Though this place had no sea salt ice cream, or beautiful sunsets or even huge towers to hang out at this place had people that you could always count on, and can always rely on to get you up when you down. This place was home.

_Your _home_._

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Thank you, XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this from me! Also thanks to all my awesome readers! I love you all~! ^^

This chapter was really fun to write and, at first I thought it was gonna be super short, but it turned out to have a decent length. I loved the part in the Gummi Ship because I could imagine it so clearly in my head. ^^ I hope you guys did too!

So, question time: Who do you think the figures in the computer room were? (_it might not be the first people you think they are…_) What did you think about the SoRei parts? Any favorite parts? Let me know!

~narcotic-lullaby

**p.s** I just realized that If you flip Yen Sid (turned to Sid Yen) and then you flip the words' letters again, it turned to Disney! (I somehow feel like the last one to realize this…. xp)


	17. The Heat Is On!

After Donald finally calmed down (_without _burning Sora to a crisp) he offered to help you with your magic skills. With a lot of practice, you managed to do more than just send a gust of hot air and summon a chilly breeze; you were finally able to cast the Fire and Blizzard spells.

"After we get back from the world we landed on, we can practice Thunder spells." Donald informed you after practice.

"Great!" you said happily. "So, what do you think about my magic now?"

"_I _still think you have to practice a lot more to be as good as us." Sora bragged, walking over towards the exit.

"Whatev." You shrugged, not wanting that comment to interfere with your happiness of casting spells. You couldn't wait to try it out in the new world and you felt like you could take on anything that Heartless and Nobodies could throw at you.

What you weren't ready for was something that was caused by none other than yourself.

~*~*~*~

"Agrabah! We made it!" Donald announced happily, stepping out into a secluded part of the desert city. All the houses were made of mud and seemed really tempting to enter in Agrabah's intense heat. The only other time you've ever experienced such heat was in summer at Twilight Town, and at least there you had sea-salt ice creams to cool off with. You tied your hair up into a ponytail, revealing a thin glimmer on your neck from the necklace Roxas gave you.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Aladdin n' Jasmine are doin'?" Goofy said, stepping out of the cool Gummi Ship.

"Hey, maybe Riku's with them!" Sora suggested hopefully.

"Yeah, and the King!" Goofy added.

"Maybe even Roxas…" you trailed off, looking around as if he would pop up out of nowhere. A small pit of resentment grew in Sora's heart at your words.

"Oh, keep dreaming you three." Donald rolled his eyes, as you all went up to him and started walking around.

"C'mon, Donald you were thinkin' the same thing." Goofy said knowingly.

"No I wasn't!" Donald insisted, even though he had a shred of hope in his heart that you three were right.

Suddenly, you heard something in the empty lot other than you four. Was it…_flapping_?

You looked up into the blue sky and saw a red parrot fluttering towards you and Goofy, who also noticed the bird. It started circling you and Goofy and you followed it interestedly, never seeing a parrot this close before.

Goofy also stared at the bird, trying to remember something. "Uh-oh…it's...uh...um…It's Iago!"

In a flash, Sora and Donald turned around with their weapons out, catching you a little off guard. Was Iago some kind of bad guy? He didn't seem like it to you.

"Wait! You've got me all wrong!" Iago squawked flying over to Sora and Donald.

"You're Iago, all right." Donald said, pointing his staff at Iago. He looked thoroughly annoyed with the red parrot.

"No! I mean, it's not the old me, I've turned over a new feather!" Iago claimed as Sora and Donald put away their weapons. "I'm legit! No more scams! Promise!"

Sora crossed his arms. "Bet _that's_ your new scam."

"Ya gotta believe me!" Iago pleaded.

"Sora, let's go!" Donald beckoned everyone else to follow him, wanting to leave Iago alone.

"I was stuck inside that lamp with Jafar. Remember? Well, I finally escaped. But then something happened and…" Iago bowed his head as if he were ashamed of something and landed on some nearby rocks.

"So, free as a bird huh?" Sora said, keeping a sharp eye on Iago.

"Have fun!" Donald shouted sarcastically. He turned around to stomp off angrily, leaving behind a poor Iago with his head bowed in shame.

"Aw, c'mon you guys. Cut him some slack. Maybe he really did change." You said, stopping Sora and Donald from going any further. "He looks pretty sad…"

Iago looked up hopefully, a tiny smile forming on his yellow beak. "Thank you! I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine. Could you guys maybe put in a good word for me?" he said, landing on your shoulder and facing everyone else.

"Sure! We can do that, can't we?" Goofy smiled, turning to Sora and Donald, who still glared at Iago. Before either of two could answer, Iago rose into the air and shouted, "Watch out!"

Everyone turned to see what he was screaming at and saw several vicious sword bearing Heartless approaching you all. You gulped. No wonder this part of the world was so isolated.

When the fight broke out, you attempted to use the spells you've learned on the Gummi Ship on the Heartless, though they didn't have as much effect on them as you wished it would. Instead of wearing yourself out casting spells, you slashed the Heartless with your normal techniques and placed some magic on them every now and then. But no matter what you tried, there were always more Heartless to tackle your group.

"Where are they all coming from!?" Sora shouted, backing away from the number of Heartless. Soon, you all were encircled by them, back to back, with your weapons out.

Then, a couple of Heartless spotted Iago perched on some stairs, looking at your group anxiously. They went over to capture him too, but Iago shrieked and flew away frantically. Out of panic, he started flying into random objects like a bunch of boxes, which knocked over and landed conveniently over the Heartless.

Spotting an opening, Sora shouted you all to follow him. You all managed to flee into an old building that looked like an abandoned shack. It had ragged pieces of once fine cloth hung on the walls and smashed pieces of pottery and vases littering the dirt floor. Luckily, it was quite cool inside and you all recovered quickly. Iago perched himself on a pile of old cloth.

"Aw, we would've been goners if it wasn't for Iago." Goofy said after catching his breath. "Ain't that right, fellas?" You nodded, looking at the others hopefully.

"I guess we owe you one…" Sora muttered grudgingly. He _still_ didn't trust the bird and neither did Donald, who still glared at Iago.

"Perfect!" Iago squawked happily, rising into the air.

"But you'll have to win over Aladdin and Jasmine all by yourself." Sora concluded and you smiled at him. It was nice of him to finally forgive an old enemy and help him when he needs it. Sora caught your smile and a faint one danced on his lips, as well as a faint spot of red. Donald looked at you two with sharp eyes.

"Where _is_ Aladdin anyways?" Goofy asked loudly, causing you and Sora to look away.

"I betcha he's at the palace." Iago suggested, flying over to the exit of the room.

"Then let's go!" you cheered, following Iago out. A smiled played around Sora's eyes as he looked at your retreating back, and Donald noticed. Worry grew in him as he followed Sora and Goofy out.

~*~*~*~

Your eyes widened in wonder as you stared up at the grand palace. It was magnificent; the pristine white walls and golden domes shining at you all made it look like the crown of the kingdom. The inside was more beautiful than the outside, with fresh gardens and fountains. You were so wrapped up in the beauty of the palace, you almost didn't notice when the others stopped and called out someone's name.

"Heya, Jasmine!" Goofy greeted a tall lady who had raven black hair cascading down to her bare waist. She wore a teal colored short top and harem pants with gold cuffs around her arms. When she turned around, her big brown eyes sparkled with happiness as she rushed toward your group. She was a really pretty person, and something about her was regal.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy! And…" She tilted her head to the side as she looked at you.

"I'm Reina. Nice to meet you, Jasmine."

"_Princess_ Jasmine." Donald corrected, sweeping into a low bow. Following suit, everyone else also bowed. Jasmine smiled at you all.

"Nice to meet you, Reina." Jasmine said with a smile. Then, she turned to the guys. "I never had a chance to thank you for before. You helped Aladdin defeat that awful Jafar and saved Agrabah. Thank you."

"All in a day's work." Sora said, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. "But…it looks like the Heartless are up to no good again. Is there any way we can help you out?"

"I…think we're alright for now. Thanks" Jasmine smiled. Iago fluttered behind you, trying to cover himself from Jasmine. He was still ashamed that he helped Jafar and couldn't bring himself to face her.

"At least ya got Aladdin!" Goofy said cheerily. At this, Jasmine's face fell.

"He…hasn't been himself lately…" Jasmine sighed, looking down.

"Is it because of the Heartless?!" Donald exclaimed, taking his wand out and looking around suspiciously.

"I'm not sure." Jasmine shook her head and paced around. "Usually, he's the same, cheerful Aladdin. But sometimes…he just seems sad."

"Hmm…" Sora and Donald said, listening to her story and thinking about what could be the answer.

"He leaves the palace and goes off by himself all the time. I've asked him about it, but he says nothing's wrong." She said, facing you all again. "He's gone again today. What if he doesn't come back this time?"

Before any of you could console her, Iago rose up from his hiding and yelled, "Hey! Maybe he's got a secret girlfriend! I know! I'll find out who she is!" Iago meant to help, but instead received an opposite reaction.

"Iago! Quick, Sora, catch him!" Jasmine shouted, trying to get a hold of Iago, who dodged the attempts. "And I'll warn the guard and everyone in the palace!" Before you could say anything, she rushed into the palace. Everyone sighed.

"Nice move." Sora muttered sarcastically.

"Maybe it was somethin' ya said!" Goofy said brightly, pointing a finger to the sky.

"Well, maybe we should go talk to Aladdin. He's gotta be somewhere in town, right?" Donald suggested.

"Good idea. Let's go!" you said, eager to explore more of this world.

~*~*~*~

Agrabah was filled with things that could attract your attention. As you and the others weaved through the crowd of customers that bargained with street vendors, you tried to take in every sight, smell, and sound around you. There were fruit shops, furniture shops, bakeries…So many things that Sora had to keep an eye on you, so you won't get stranded behind.

"Can't we just…?" you would always start whenever you saw something interesting.

"No, cmon…we can see all of this later…" Sora always replied, and you sighed and moved forward.

Without any luck of finding Aladdin, you all found yourselves in an isolated corner of the city, no doubt empty because of Heartless.

"Stop, thief!" a voice shouted, turning everyone's attention to a small brown blur that sped across your group, with a short man chasing after it. Out of the blue, a young man also went after the monkey, only pausing for a few seconds to say, "Hi Sora!"

"Come back here!" the short man shouted again, running pretty slow compared to the brown blur and the young man. You all followed the whole pursuit and ended up at a scene where the young man and a small monkey holding a black lamp reached a dead end, cornered by the short man.

"If you can't control that fur ball…" the short man growled, approaching them. "then put a leash on him!"

"Look, I'm sorry!" the man turned to small monkey, exasperated. He looked like he'd already said the same thing a million times to the small monkey. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Abu!" the man walked over to the shorter man gave him the lamp. "No hard feelings?" he said, hopefully.

"Hmph." The short man glared, snatching back his precious lamp. Then, the young man and growled, "Abu!"

Abu shrieked and then saw you all. The little monkey leapt happily and scurried towards your group and you laughed at the sight of him. He was really cute!

"Hey, guys, uh, sorry about earlier. I was kinda in a hurry." The young man apologized, approaching you. He was handsome, with deep, brown eyes and a smiling face. Was this guy Aladdin? The man turned to you, and asked, "Who's this?"

"I'm Reina. Nice to meet ya." You smiled, giving a little wave.

The young man smiled back, "Same here. I'm Aladdin." So you were right.

"What happened?" Sora asked with a smile, curious to know what kinda of mischief Abu got himelf into this time.

"You know Abu. He couldn't keep his paws off that lamp." Aladdin said, shaking his head at the monkey even though a smile lit his face.

"I guess you can't be **that** down in the dumps, huh?" Sora asked.

Aladdin looked at him with a confused expression. "Who said I was?"

"Princess Jasmine." Goofy replied. "She was worried about ya 'cause you're always in town."

"Got a new girlfriend?" Donald asked while you hissed, "_Donald!_"

Donald shrugged and just said, "What? I'm just asking!"

"No way!" Aladdin said, shaking his head vigorously. "Jasmine would kill me!"

"Then what is it?" Sora asked. Aladdin sighed.

"There's no foolin' Jasmine, is there?" he sighed. "See, Genie and Carpet took off to see the world. It's what Genie always wanted, so I wished him the best and all, but…"

"You miss him?" you finished and Aladdin nodded.

Sora grinned and said, "It must be _really_ quiet with Genie gone, huh?"

"Yeah, that's why I came here. The action, the people. There's always something goin' on." As Aladdin spoke, Sora realized a certain light was in his eyes— a similar sparkle Sora usually saw in your eyes and you in his. "I mean, c'mon, I met you guys here today, right? This place is full of surprises."

You heard a whimpering sound behind you and saw Iago shaking on the ground, wide eyed. "Uh…Sora…?"

Everyone turned around to see the little parrot mumbling something and losing a little bit of feathers in the process. He was pointing his wing somewhere far off, making him look a little crazy.

"Iago?!" Aladdin exclaimed as he took a closer look at the parrot.

"Oh, right…" Sora remembered Iago's plead for forgiveness. "He wants to apologize for the trouble he caused."

"Oh, does he?" Aladdin said doubtfully.

"Gawrsh, he's so sorry he's shakin'!" Goofy noted.

"Th-th-that lamp!" Iago stuttered, pointing shaily at the direction the short man left.

"What about it?" you asked.

"It was _the_ lamp!" Iago yelled, flying up to you.

"C'mon, there are a million like it." Aladdin said disbelievingly.

"Hey! I was locked up in that thing for _months_! There's no way I'd mistake it!" Iago insisted strongly and Abu began shrieking and pointing at Iago, signaling that what Iago said was why he took the lamp in the first place.

"Then we'd better go back and talk to the peddler." Aladdin said finally.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Right behind you." Sora said.

~*~*~*~

On the way to the shop, Sora explained everything that went on his previous journey to Agrabah. You found out why the others didn't trust Iago so much, who Genie was, and why retrieving that lamp was so important.

"Ah, customers!" the peddler's face lit with delight as he heard your group enter his shop. Aladdin and Abu didn't want to enter the shop, leaving you four to make the deal.

"Is there any way we can buy that lamp from you?" Sora asked, pointing the lamp that was in the peddler's hands. You hoped with all your heart that he wouldn't rub that thing…

"Of course. That is…" a greedy grin went across the peddler's face. "_…if_ you can afford it."

You frowned. This guy probably liked taking advantage of newbies in this town, since he could rip them off so easily. The way he grinned looked like there was a steep price to pay, and it was up to you all to seal the deal with this guy. Or else.

Sora looked back at Aladdin, who gestured his hand in a 'go on!' motion. Sora nodded and turned back to the peddler.

"No worries!" Sora smiled, even though he knew that all of the money you had pitched in together still won't cover the cost of the lamp.

"Yeah!" Donald chimed in. "We can pay you in royal treasu—" Donald was cut off by you nudging him in the foot and glaring at him. But it was too late, the damage was done, and the peddler's eyes grew beady with greed.

"Might I interest you in another fine lamp?" the peddler asked waving his hand around a small display of less fabulous lamps.

"No, that's the one we need." You confirmed, pointing at the lamp in his hand.

"Ah, well, perhaps I _can_ be persuaded…" the peddler said and a bubble of hope formed in your heart. "_If_ you bring me a treasure beyond my imagination! Something, say, fit for a _sultan_…?"

The bubble burst. Where the heck would you get this kind of treasure?!

"Okay, then." Sora nodded and headed out to tell Aladdin what happened.

"Royal treasure, eh? That could be tricky…" He said, rubbing his chin.

"There's lots at the palace!" Donald suggested.

Aladdin shook his head."But it's not mine to take. And I can't ask. I don't want to worry Jasmine or the Sultan."

You sighed. As if Jasmine could be worried any _more_ about Aladdin. Iago flapped in with a solution.

"Hey, I know!" he exclaimed, flying up to Aladdin. "What about the treasure in the Cave of Wonders?"

At once, Donald and Sora threw him dirty looks, even though you were interested. But, judging by Sora's expression, maybe the Cave of Wonders wasn't so wonderful.

"There isn't any other way…" Aladdin muttered, defeated. "All right, Iago. Lead the way! After we get the treasure, I might even believe your apology."

"You can count on me!" Iago grinned. He was happy that he was finally being trusted.

"Better get ready though." Aladdin said to your group. "The trip across the desert will be a long one."

Your heart fell. Trip…._across the desert_?! In this _heat_??? It'll take ages!

"Don't worry; it won't take as long as you think it will." Sora smiled, looking at your expression.

"But, we're going across the _desert_!" you cried, surprised seeing Sora so calm. You thought the news would shock everyone, but no one reacted as you thought they would. "The desert!" you repeated, trying to make sure Sora heard you correctly.

"I know, let's get's some water for the trip, then." Sora grinned, grabbing your hand and heading into the bustling crowd of customers once again with a water container. You instantly felt a jolt in your heart, and you were instantly reminded of a moment where you were with someone else in this type of heat before…

~*~*~*~*~*_flashback_~*~*~*~*~*~

_It was a scorching day in Twilight Town, as it usually was at the end of the school year and at the beginning of summer break. You were walking back home with Roxas, who always walked you home as long as you could remember._

"_Summer break's coming up. What do you think we should do?" Roxas asked, folding his arms behind his head._

"_Nothing." You muttered._

"_Why?" Roxas asked, a little surprised. It was unlike you to pass up an opportunity of fun._

"_It's so hot! Four people already fainted because of it and Miss Court went to the hospital because of it! I don't wanna risk that." You replied exasperatedly. _

"_Miss Court is old." Roxas pointed out. You both were nearing your house now as he said, "So, no trip to the beach?"_

"_Not right now. Besides, I'm broke." You admitted a little sheepishly. You both were at your fence._

"_That's because you bought that stupid CD yesterday." Roxas accused._

"_What?! I like that CD! Lemme sing you a song right now…" you took in a deep breath to belt out the chorus of a song, but stopped when you heard a groan of pain next to you. Roxas was clutching his head and sinking to the ground, slowly. His eyes were half closed and he looked like he was going to die._

"_R-Roxas…?" you called out, terrified. You shook him and there was no response. "Roxas! Get up!" _

_Still, no response. *_It must be the heat…!*

_Without thinking, you ran right inside your house and filled a glass of ice cold water. You rushed back outside and gasped._

_He was laughing! He was sitting upright, not at all affected by the heat as you thought he was. When his bright blue eyes met yours, his eyes almost formed tears of laughter._

"_Wh-what the heck?!" you shouted at him, marching over to him. "Why'd you do that?_

"_You…you should've seen your expression!" he laughed, looking up at you. "It's funny when you get worried!"_

_Anger boiled inside of you immediately, making you feel hotter than ever. You poured the water on top of Roxas' blond hair, wanting to get revenge._

"_Hey, that actually feels good!" _

"_You want more!?" you charged toward your garden hose and turned it on full power. You pointed the spray at Roxas. A torrent of ice cold water shot out and hit Roxas, who yelled "Okay, I'm sorry!"_

_When you refused to lower the hose, Roxas walked over to you and grabbed the hose form you and kept a hold of your other hand. He pointed it upward, making it look like it was raining. Even though you would've been mad that you were getting soaked, it actually felt really refreshing._

"_I'm sorry." He said in a soft voice, meeting your eyes. _

"_Whatever." You blushed, trying to ignore the fact that your heart was beating ten times faster than usual. You looked away._

"_Besides," he said, directing your chin to face him. "It sweet to see you get that worried about me. Thanks."_

"_Um…you're welcome I guess…" you muttered, feeling yourself turn warm even though you were being pelted by drops of cold water. Roxas leaned in and…_

"_**Reina!!**__" you heard your mom call you from inside the house. _

"_I have to go…" you said in what seemed like a whisper. Roxas backed away but still held a tender smile._

"_See you then!" he began walking away from the house, waving. _

"_Yeah…bye…" you said dazedly, waving back feebly. Today, he almost kissed you! _Kissed you_! You rushed inside to call Olette and tell her all about it…_

~*~*~*~_end flashback_~*~*~*~*~

After retrieving the water, you and Sora met up with the others and Iago started leading your group to the desert. You trudged on with the others, taking in every glance on this world you could squeeze in. You almost didn't notice a slight, sudden pressure that landed and got off of your shoulder. When you looked to see what it was, you saw that Abu leaped down, clutching something shiny in his small paw. You took a closer look at what it was and your eyes widened.

It was your necklace! Abu was shaking it around as if it was a toy and he didn't know how to operate it.

"Here, lemme show you…" you said, crouching down to show him how to open your locket. But Abu, thinking that you were going to take it away from him, clutched it to his chest possessively and started running away with it, with you in pursuit of him.

He leapt on Goofy's shoulder and then jumped down onto Donald's beak, which he then used to propel himself into Sora's hair. You chased around frantically, knocking into your friends while to trying to grab a hold of your precious necklace.

Finally, Aladdin grabbed the frisky monkey. "What's this, Abu? Stealing again?" he scolded.

"He wasn't stealing." You defended. You weren't sure what it was, but it was definitely not stealing.

"Well, give the necklace back to Reina then. And no more mischief, you hear me?" Aladdin said, shaking a finger at the monkey who nodded, frightened. Abu leapt on your shoulder, handing back the necklace reluctantly.

"I was just trying to show you how to open it…" you said, taking the locket and opening it properly. It revealed the two pictures, still in place. Abu took the locket once again and studied it to his heart's content. When he was done, he handed it back with a smile and leapt onto Aladdin's shoulder.

"What is that, Reina?" Goofy asked curiously.

"Oh, just a necklace." You said, trying to sound offhand. But in truth, it was _way_ more than a necklace to you.

Sora looked closely and his eye widened. "Is that a…"

"Paopu fruit?" You nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Where'd ya get—" Sora stopped the question. He knew what the answer would be, and he didn't want to hear it from your lips.

You answered it anyway. "Roxas gave it to me." You said, with a trace of a blush.

The pit Sora's heart grew bigger.

"You know, it has to be a _real_ paopu fruit for the legend to work." He pointed out. "That doesn't count."

"Yeah,I know." You shrugged, opening it again fondly. Sora leaned over to join you and jealousy instantly flamed in him. On one side, you were with Olette, Hayner, Pence and some other guy, which was fine…until he saw the opposite picture.

You were super close to the blond haired, blue eyed guy, with smiling faces, which he didn't like. At all.

"Who is that guy?" Sora asked automatically, pointing.

"Roxas." You answered, not taking your eyes off of the pictures.

Sora snorted forcefully. "He looks like a pretty boy to me."

An amused smile lit your face. "Oh, really? I though he looked a lot like _you_ the first time I met you."

"Me?! I don't look like _that_ at all!" Sora exclaimed, making sure he put a disgusted emphasis on 'that'.

"You did to me." You shrugged, putting the necklace back on and tucking it under your shirt once again.

"You must've had something in your eye…" Sora muttered, put off.

*_So, that's all I am to her?_* he thought sourly. *_A friend that looks like her stupid boyfriend?_*

The pit grew even bigger in Sora's heart. Eventually, it would grow enough to take over his heart….

…_Again_.

* * *

_**!Author's Note!**_

Big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this for me! And to Eve1156 for double-checking it ^^ I love you both!

This chapter was kinda done in a rush (I'm rushing right now!), and I dunno how it turned out. I may have made it a tad boring, actually, but I liked the flashback and the ending ^^ Though, I thought that Sora's ending thought was a bit…iffy…. =p

So, what did you think about it? What do you think will happen to Sora's heart once it gets engulfed by the pit? (It'll happen, don't' worry ;D) What do you think will happen between Sora's and Reina's relationship. I would **love** to know, so tell me all about it!

~narcotic-lullaby


	18. Don't Stray From Me

"_Whaaat_?! Really? We're gonna ride a magic carpet!?" you asked Aladdin excitedly.

"Yep. In fact, he should be here right now…" Aladdin nodded, stopping in the middle of the desert. He looked around and gave a shrill, loud whistle. In no time, a purple and gold rug swooped in, circling itself around Aladdin and then making a bowing gesture to the rest of you.

In awe, you approached Carpet slowly, raising a timid hand to poke it. Seeing this, Carpet outstretched one of its corners to you. Confused, you turned to Aladdin for help.

"He wants to shake your hand." Aladdin smiled.

"Oh…" you mumbled. You cautiously took a hold of the corner and Carpet shook it energetically, sending a wave of excitement to you.

"I think he likes me!" you grinned. Carpet let go and then put himself into a ramp-like posture as Aladdin said, "We'd better get moving."

"Yeah, let's go!" you cheered tugging at Sora's jacket, thrilled that you were able to ride a _magic carpet_! Everyone in Twilight Town would be so jealous!

"Yeah, sure…" Sora mumbled, putting on a false smile, one that lacked that normal sparkle in his eye. You didn't notice the smile, but you sure noticed his tone. Before you could ask anything, you were all crammed up onto Carpet.

Donald looked from your ecstatic expression to Sora's distraught one. His worst assumptions were coming true and he needed to fix this.

But how….?

"This is it! We've made it!" Iago squawked happily.

"Woah…." You gasped, looking up at a huge stone bust of a lions' head before you. Its head was thrown up as if it were about to roar and you looked at the huge statue so much that your neck hurt. By the time you reached the Cave, it was late afternoon. The lighting made the eyes and mouth of the lion glow brightly, as if a fire lit them. Things had gotten considerably cooler since your arrival and the trip to the Cave was pleasant, though you wished it wasn't so cramped on Carpet…

As your group approached the cave, groups of Heartless popped out, stopping your party from proceeding. They were a band of the same sword-bearing Heartless you fought when you first arrived at this world, plus a handful of some minor Shadow Heartless.

Everyone drew out their weapons and then dispersed among the Heartless. The Heartless you approached instantly reacted to your steps and took a quick swing at you with its sword and struck you.

"Ah, crap." You muttered angrily, watching blood ooze out of a minor cut on your arm. The Heartless raised its arm for another strike, bit you blocked it and forced it back, making the Heartless stumble a little backward. Using that small amount of time to your advantage, you slashed it and accidentally hit a Shadow Heartless as well. Both Heartless turned to your aggressively, their yellow, beady eyes glaring at you.

"Fire!" you chanted, scorching the two. A satisfied smile crept up your face as the Shadow faded into a cloud of darkness. Your magic skill was _finally _good enough to make some damage to your opponents. You turned to the remaining Heartless and sent a shower of slashes and strikes toward it, eventually taking it out. When you looked up, Goofy was finishing the last Heartless making the place clear.

"Let's keep moving." Aladdin told your group, heading onto the Cave.

"Where's Carpet?" you reminded everyone, looking around for the magical piece of furniture. Carpet was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, he's probably just resting right now." Aladdin shrugged. "He'll get here when I whistle."

"Whistle?" you repeated.

"Yeah, he doesn't really listen to anything else. Just whistle and he's there!" Aladdin smiled fondly.

"I can't whistle…" you admitted softly, but your words were drowned out by Aladdin warning you all, "Watch your step!"

There were a bunch of jagged rocks going down into a steep ramp, with a faint yellow glow at the bottom. Taking care to avoid getting any more cuts, you recalled the shrill whistle Aladdin used to call Carpet at the desert and became a little disappointed. The most sound you could make was from bunching your lips into an 'O' and then breathing in. After Hayner teased you about looking like a "fish outta water" up gave up trying to whistle. But now forgetting Hayner's jokes, you quietly bunched up your lips and tried to whistle, though nothing but carbon dioxide escaped from your lips.

"What're you doing?"

You felt yourself turn a little red as you faced Donald. "Whistling."

"Whistling?" Donald repeated, laughing. "That's not whistling!"

"Then show me." You said, relieved that at least Donald hadn't compared you to seafood.

Donald stuck two fingers into his beak and blew. No sound escaped. Donald tried again…and again….and _again_…but to avail. He turned bright red in his attempts of making a simple sound.

"It's been a while since I've tried this." Donald tried to explain, but it became obvious to you that he was just trying to show off.

"Uh-huh. _Sure_." You said sarcastically.

"It's like this." Goofy cut in politely before Donald could say anything. He stuffed two gloved fingers into his mouth and blew, producing a clear, low sound.

"Hmph." Donald muttered, crossing his arms.

"Cool, can ya show me?" you asked, and became excited when Goofy nodded.

Sora turned to all of this commotion quietly, lost in his own thoughts. He caught your excited, smiling face and frowned a little.

Sora thought about his and your friendship. No doubt, over the times you've spent together a special bond formed between you two. It was something more than just friendship, yet it wasn't serious enough to be called mutual liking. Well, at least to you.

*_Is that why she's so close to? Just 'cause I look like her friend?*_ Sora thought, *_Every time she looks at me, she'll always be reminded of someone she really cares about…someone she really likes…_*

It hurt him to admit it to himself, but there was no point in overlooking the truth. It was really obvious that you…_loved_...that guy.

"Hey, are you even listening?" you waved your hand in front of Sora's face, tired of calling his name over and over again. Sora seemed to come back to realization at your voice.

"Huh? What?" he asked.

"I was just asking if you knew how to whistle."

"Uh, yeah, why?" Sora asked.

"Oh, just asking." You replied. After a pause, you said, "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not!" Sora said, plastering on a fake, bright smile. "Why would it be?"

You frowned a little. The smile he gave you lacked that extra spark you were always used to seeing. Looking into his eyes was like staring into a dead, empty puddle rather than the lively ocean they used to be.

"Well—" you started, but you were cut off by Iago's obnoxious voice.

"Welcome to the Cave of Wonders!" he greeted as he flew into a vast tunnel of mountains of gold, gems, and jewels. Everyone stared at all of the valuables in one place for a second, except for Aladdin.

"Don't take anything except for the treasure we're gonna bring back to that peddler." He warned everyone, casting off a greedy look that appeared in your eyes. Donald, however, looked at all of the treasures wistfully and rubbed his hands together greedily. You recognized that look immediately.

"Let's go, Donald!" you said, dragging him away from the hoards of riches.

"B-b-but—I wanna see something!" Donald protested, struggling to get out from his grasp.

"The best treasure never sparkles or glitters, Donald." Goofy told the greedy duck wisely.

"Yes it does!" Donald insisted, still reaching out for the jewels.

"No it doesn't." Aladdin said, joining into the conversation. "The times you spend with people you care about and the memories you have with them are something you can't get with this." Aladdin gestured to the piles of riches.

"Yeah, see?" you said to the duck, who stopped resisting and sighed.

"I guess you're right..." He muttered.

"Keep your eyes out, guys; I don't think we should spend too much time in here." You jabbed your finger from above Donald's head to his skull, who didn't notice at all.

"What?" Donald asked, looking curiously at all the eyes staring at him. Everyone laughed when you pulled away, with Donald giving you a suspicious look.

Everyone, except for Sora.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't the funniest joke ever, but that would have at least earned a smile from Sora. There must be something really wrong with him…

*_Maybe he's sick?_* your mind suggested, but Sora was perfectly fine when you all arrived here. *_Maybe he's just thinking about something really serious…might as well leave him alone, then…_* you sighed a little; you felt a little sad seeing your friend sad too.

After a half hour of looking at various jewels you all finally found a really big jewel that was, in the peddler's terms, "fit for a sultan". It was a huge, pink diamond that seemed to sparkle even in the dark. To add, it was _really_ heavy and you wondered if it was worth more than that lamp.

"We've got our jewel then. Let's head out." Aladdin said, walking out the cave. You all followed, not realizing the danger that awaited you all ahead.

"Hel-_lo_?" Aladdin called once everyone was back into the peddler's shop. It was evening by the time you all got back, so the shop would probably still be open. It was but surprisingly, the greedy vendor awaiting his treasure was nowhere to be seen.

"Just _perfect_." You muttered sarcastically. Just then a muffled, but perfectly familiar, voice shouted from the outside.

"Stop whining and hand it over!" the voice yelled and your group exchanged wary looks with each other. Pete.

"Ohhh no!" another voice, presumably the peddler's, joined Pete's. "I'm trading it for treasure! This lamp is going to bring me _riches_!"

Everyone rushed outside to see the tiny peddler running away for the huge Pete.

"Oh, no you don't! Get back here you little--!" Pete screamed, chasing the peddler and then disappearing behind a corner.

"What's _he_ doin here?" Donald grumbled, and Goofy shrugged.

"Let's go after them." Aladdin said, following the two. You all finally found them struggling for the lamp in front of the palace gates.

"Thank you!" Pete said, snatching the precious lamp from the peddler's hands.

The peddler glared at him and grabbed the lamp back. "It's mine!"

"Lamp hog!" Pete shouted before chasing the peddler again.

"Go away!" the peddler shouted, not looking back. You stared at the two idiots with increasing disbelief.

Then, Pete tackled the poor fellow and grabbed the lamp midair. "Gotcha!"

"No fair!" the peddler whined.

"Heh heh! I win!" Pete shouted triumphantly, holding the map high so the peddler wouldn't be able to grab it. He didn't realize that Iago flew straight for the lamp and grabbed it with his talons. Noticing something different, Pete looked up and his mouth fell open. "Huh…? Oh!"

"Nice one, Iago!" you cheered, bouncing on your feet.

"Way to go!" Aladdin joined.

"Don't drop it!" Donald warned.

Goofy noticed two figures approaching the parrot. "Watch out!"

Both Pete and the peddler made a mad dash toward the parrot. Iago shrieked then made a sharp turn, causing Pete and the peddler straight into the wall. Laughing, the bird didn't realize that he was heading straight into a wall until he smashed face first into it.

"Ohhh…" everyone groaned in unison, wincing at the parrot sliding slowly down the wall.

Before anyone could make a move, Pete sprinted over and grabbed the little black lamp and laughed sinisterly. "Nice try, bird brain. Just wait 'til Jafar's free! He's gonna make one beauty of a Heartless!"

Just as everyone pulled out their weapons, the ground started to shake. Aladdin looked sharply up and a huge grin spread across his face. You looked up too and saw a big blue…._blob_ hovered in the orange tinged sky. He announced so everyone in this world, and maybe even neighboring worlds, to hear, "I'm _**hooommmeee**_!"

"Al! It's been eons!" he yelled, slamming straight into Pete. "Al, you princely little muffin, you!"

"Cosmic travel can get _so_ lonely without a friend!" he continued, slapping Pete's shoulder. Pete tried to swing at the blue jinn, but he then popped on the other side of Pete and said, "To think I left you forlorn and Genie-less... Oh, the _humanity_!"

As he was speaking, he was rattling the life out of Pete while sobbing out comical waterfalls.

"Genie…?" Aladdin called tentatively, sounding amused that Genie was mistaking Pete for him.

Genie, the blue jinn, puffed out his chest, obviously not hearing what the real Aladdin was saying. He blew up into a huge red balloon and asked, "Hey, Al, you've been puttin' on weight?"

"Aw, of course, what am I saying? You're living at the palace now!" Genie answered himself excitedly.

Genie cloned himself to make another Genie with huge eyelashes. The other one batted his (her?) eyelashes and called in a high pitched voice, "Alaaadin!"

"Jasmine!" the original exclaimed as both of them hugged each other. Heart shaped pink fireworks exploded between them. He popped up next to Pete again and said, "I can just picture it…"

"Wait, tell me. Am I being a pest? Just a big, blue pest?" the Genie answered his own question once again. "Aw, who cares, Al! I'm just so glad to _see_ you!"

"Genie!" Aladdin said a little more loudly, a grin over his face. Genie looked over at Aladdin and his eyes widened. He turned back to Pete and pushed him back. "Oops!"

Pete seemed furious when he was released and shouted, "Time for plan B! I'm finishin' you mugs off right now!"

Pete struck the ground with his fist, causing the ground to shake again. At once, a row of shrubs and grasses exploded into flames and a huge, red and orange Heartless formed out of a big flare. It carried a staff of flames proportionate to the Heartless' size. Just when you thought you could finish it off with some effort, things got worse. A crate of water burst open and revealed an ice counterpart of the flamed Heartless and you looked at both of them back and forth, deciding which one to go after first.

Aladdin, Goofy and you decided to take the angry red Firagun while Sora and Donald went against the icy Blizzagun. The Heartless both hovered in the air often, only coming down to strike you and the others like birds of prey. They also used tons of magic, which put your magic skills to the test.

You focused purely on the Firagun, using a combination of your fiercest Blizzard attacks and physical attacks. Aladdin and Goofy started to confuse the Heartless by attacking it on opposite sides, making it perfectly dazed. As a last resort, the Firagun set itself aflame and started running into your group members.

"Oh no ya don't!" Genie shouted, stopping in front of Goofy and sending a huge shard of ice at it. The icicle speared the Heartless, causing it to collapse. Aladdin and Goofy finished it off with a volley of attacks and it exploded into a cloud of fire and darkness, releasing a captured heart.

"Thanks!" you exclaimed at the big blue jinn. He smiled back and said, "No problem! Anything for you….uh…"

"Reina." You helped and Genie smiled.

"Alright! Let's go kick some Heartless butt!" Genie exclaimed, and you both sped over to the Blizzagun Heartless, which was wearing Sora and Donald down.

You started pouring Fire spells on the Heartless, and you felt confident on your spells by then; you didn't fail casting any so far. With Goofy's, Sora's, and Aladdin's great physical attacks and the help of Genie now and then, the Blizzagun Heartless finally met the same fate as its icy counterpart. As it dissolved into darkness and ice, Pete looked at your group in disbelief.

"You! You've messed with me for the last time! I'm gonna get you yet!" he fumed, stomping his feet. As expected, he ran away.

Almost everyone cheered, relieved that the battle was over. Sora still didn't have a trace of a smile on his face, as he looked up into the dark orange sky.

Suddenly, the Heartseeker appeared in your hands, glowing and shaking. It forcefully pointed to a huge orange thing in Abu's paws, which he was struggling to conceal. Finally, a huge orange gem escaped from Abu's hands and it started to float in mid air. You glanced at Sora, who nodded back. As the gem made a Keyhole in the sky, Sora locked it with his Keyblade.

"He must've stolen it from the Cave when we weren't lookin'." Goofy said, looking at Aladdin and Donald chasing Abu, both for different reasons. An amused laughter rang out between your group and Iago reappeared with the black lamp in his talons.

He dropped the lamp straight on your open palms. "So, what're we gonna do with this?"

"I know just what to do with it." Genie said knowingly

In the palace dungeon, you placed the little lamp cautiously in a large stone chest. Then, Sora, Aladdin and Goofy pushed a heavy stone lid over the chest, sealing the lamp for a very long time.

"So, what're we gonna do now, guys?" DOnlad asked.

"Leave, I guess." Sora answered indifferently.

"Already, guys? Why not stay for a while; you probably haven't even got to take a good look at this place for a long time." Aladdin insisted.

"And Agrabah's lovelier in the night." Jasmine added, smiling a little toward Aladdin. Aladdin caught the smile and his lips curved into a smile of his own.

Then, it hit Donald. This was it! All you and Sora needed was some time alone and you'd both work it out, just like he'd seen you two do at the Timeless River.

"Me and Goofy are kinda tired right now." Donald said immediately.

"But Donald, I—"Goofy began.

"But you and Sora should go." Donald went on loudly, adding a meaningful glance toward Goofy, who shut his open mouth at once.

"Are you guys sure? It'll be fun!" you asked.

"We're sure." Donald confirmed.

"Alrightie, then. What about you, Sora?" you turned to the brunette.

Sora shrugged. "I'm okay with it, I guess."

"Okay, then! It's final! We'll show every corner of Agrabah!" Jasmine said spiritedly, looping her arm around yours and dragging you outside. Sora followed and Aladdin was about to do the same, but Donald stopped him and whispered something.

A grin spread on Aladdin's face and he nodded. As Aladdin left the room, Donald hoped everything would be alright.

And they would…but only for a while.

"…And that's the famous ice cream shop over there. We should have some right now." Aladdin pointed.

"You're right." Jasmine agreed from under her concealing hood. She had to hide herself or else people would swarm around her.

"Do they have sea-salt ice cream?" you asked, walking along with the couple to the ice cream vendor.

"Sea salt wha-?!" Aladdin and Jasmine exclaimed in unison.

"Ice cream." You finished with a grin. "There's ice cream like that at Twilight Town, it's really good and…" you began, oblivious to the fact that Sora was lagging behind.

The brunette looked up at the brightly dotted sky, lit by a half-moon. He shook his head angrily.

*_What's wrong with you?!_* He asked himself furiously, *_You're getting worked up for no reason! It's stupid!_*

He tried to shake the feeling off but it always crept back, this time in a different, stronger and darker voice.

*_You've got a reason to be wound up._* the voice told him. *_The girl that you like—_your_ girl!—is currently going all over some dumb guy. She's __yours__ not some Roxas'….you need to keep it that way…_*

A bunch of angry, dark feelings took over in that second; feelings that weren't his. The next second, he heard his name.

"So-_ra!_" you called, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He looked at you. "Hm?"

"What flavor do you want?" you asked, frowning a little.

"Dunno, whatever." He shrugged. You grew more worried.

"Four strawberries' then, please." Aladdin told the counter. After you all purchased your treats, Aladdin asked, "So, what else do you guys do at Twilight Town?"

"Oh, um…" you took a bite of your ice cream. "We usually eat ice cream up on a tall tower. We could see the sunset from there every day. It was gorgeous."

"Sure sounds like it." Jasmine smiled and a spark lit Aladdin's eyes.

"We can eat our ice cream on a tower too! C'mon, I'll show you…" he said.

You all followed Aladdin through some rundown shacks all the way up to a really high building overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking and a special smile lit Jasmine's face.

"This is the place where we first met, huh?" she asked Aladdin.

"Where we first got chased by Palace guards, you mean." Aladdin corrected, drawing closer to Jasmine.

*_So cute…_* you thought as a smile softened your face, to allow them privacy, you dragged Sora over to the edge of the building overlooking Agrabah. Instead of lighting up as you usually would seeing something beautiful, you caught Sora's pained expression and it reflected onto your face.

"Uh…um…I just remembered something!" Aladdin announced loudly. "Um…I have to feed Abu so see you guys back at the palace! Bye!" Aladdin rambled awkwardly before disappearing with Jasmine before you could say "Bye!"

You arched an eyebrow before turning to Sora. He was looking up at the half-moon, lost in thinking.

"Sora?"

He turned to you. "Hm?

"What's wrong?"

"Noth-"Sora started, planting on that same fake smile.

"Don't say nothing!" you cut him off. "There's something…_different_ about you lately. What is it?"

Sora opened his mouth but met your expectant green eyes then looked away.

"I'm telling you, it's nothing serious."

You went in front of him to look into his eyes again. "Look I may not be able to help you, but I'll try the best that I can. Besides, grief is much easier to bear when you share it with someone. So, spill the beans, will ya?!"

"Well…" Sora looked away again uncertainly. You urged him on.

He took a deep breath and rapidly asked, "Do I really remind you that much of Roxas?"

You stared at him blankly for three full seconds before laughing hysterically. Sora turned bright red.

"That's it?! Of course not!" you laughed. "I just said you _looked_ like him!"

It seemed as a weight has been lifted from Sora's heart, though the dark spots still lingered on it.

"I don't there is anybody like you, Sora. You're special. And I like you the way you are." You said honestly. You didn't think about what you were saying until you said it; the words seemed to flow out of your mouth from a deep part of your heart. You looked down nervously, wondering if you said too much.

"B-because, you know, there isn't any idiot like you out there." You flustered a little, trying to make what you said into a joke. You looked up and saw a special, tender expression on his face. Your heart started breaking a little faster than usual, but stopped when Sora's face fell into that same expression from before.

"But…it's not just that." He mumbled, walking over to the edge of the building. He started walking on the stone railing like a tightrope walker. Your heart started beating fast again, though this time for a bad reason.

"It's bunch of things…." Sora went on. "…like home…and wondering whether or not I'll find Riku….even if I'll make it or not to find him."

"You will." You outstretched your hand to him. "Get down from there."

Sora didn't even notice it. "Sometimes, it just makes me wanna—" Sora didn't get to complete that sentence since he tripped and….

…and fell right over the edge of the building.

"**SORA!!!**" you screamed, trying to reach him before he fell, but it was too late. A sharp whistle filed your ears.

You looked over the edge, but the ground was too dark to make out anything. Hot tears started running down your cheeks uncontrollably.

"No…" your voice cracked, as your legs turned to jelly. You turned around to get help when you froze.

It was Sora. On a carpet. No scratches, no bruises, no mark whatsoever, just a laughing face.

"You…you…_Idiot!!!_" You summoned Heartseeker and threw it at him. He dodged the attack and said, "And _that's_ how you whistle!"

"What's wrong with you?!" you fumed, going up to him. Sora covered himself with his arms, expecting an attack, but was surprised when you flung yourself on him, relieved that he was alive and well.

"What would you do that?!" you screamed in his ear.

"Ah…!" Sora grinned, rubbing his ear. You glared at him.

"It's funny when you get worried." He said, reminding you of another person who mentioned those exact words.

"Add to the fact that you were crying…" Sora murmured, brushing a tear off of your burning cheek. "It was actually sweet…"

"This?" you said, wiping some more tears and backing away. "They were tears of happiness."

"Oh, were they?" Sora sounded amused.

"Yeah." You couldn't meet his gaze so you looked at the carpet he was hovering on.

"Wanna join me?" Sora asked, offering his hand to you. You threw your face up haughtily and got on without accepting his help. As soon as you were settled, the carpet sped top speed into the air.

"This is so cool!" you exclaimed, looking down at Agrabah. Everything looked so tiny!

"I know." Sora agreed from behind you.

Out of impulse, you untied your hair, letting it flow with the wind.

"Reina!" Sora shouted. "Your hair is in my face!"

"Oh, sorr—" you turned around to see that Sora's face was just inches away from yours. You turned away nervously and looked back at the city, scooting closer to the edge, giving you and Sora some room.

Sora gently took your hand and dragged you a little back.

"Wh-what're you doing?" you asked, red creeping up your cheeks.

"Making sure you don't fall over like an idiot."

You looked at him incredulously. "You _can't_ be talking!"

Sora didn't respond, taking the fresh air and happy that he finally found a reason to hold your hand.

_**!Author's Note!**_

Sorry for the big delay! I was really wound up with a bunch of stuff but now I'm back ^^

I'm really not sure about this chapter…I tried to put some more details in the fighting scenes, so I dunno how it turned out. But for one thing, I would say some parts were clichéd which I apologize for. (I couldn't help it! Xp) Oh, and there is some symbolism in this chapter, though I think it wasn't that obvious xp (hint: the moon!)

So, what did you think about this chapter? About Sora and Reina's relationship? About the darkness in Sora's heart? Tell me all about it!

~narcotic-lullaby


	19. Holding On

_I was back at that beach again, waiting for Roxas. It felt like I was years younger….like I was thirteen again. The wind playfully tousled my hair and sea water tickled my young feet as I waited for the blondie that I loved so dearly. I caught him running toward me, so I yelled,_

_"__You made me wait here for an hour!"_

_"__Sorry…" he said, scratching his head. "So, where is he anyway?"_

_"__Who?...Oh! Are you talking about Rapunzel?" I joked, making Roxas laugh._

_"__Hey, I heard that, ya'know!" another guy's voice shouted._

_I turned and saw a green eyed, red haired guy that was looking at me and Roxas with his eyebrows raised. He was taller than me and Roxas, and by the looks of it, a little older too._

_"__Just kidding, Axel!"_

_"__Whatever, Coconut Head, it's not my fault you left while I had to do the work of putting the boat back right…!" Axel retorted, and before I could say anything back, he turned to Roxas and asked, "So, why'd ya bring us here anyway?"_

_"__I'll tell ya when everyone gets here." Roxas assured the redhead._

_"__It's a great idea!" I added making Axel's eyes flash back and forth from me and Roxas mischievously. Before he could say anything, though, we heard two more people approaching the warm, sunny beach._

_The shortest of the pair was a small, blond girl, with sparkling blue eyes that matched the ocean. She greeted us all with a bright "Hello!" as the guy next to her smiled. The guy on the right….Demyx. I knew the Organization member right away, yet my younger self did nothing but grin brightly at him and the girl._

"_Hey, Namine and Demyx!" I waved cheerily._

"_Whassup?" Demyx smiled._

"_Yeah, why did you call us here, anyway?" Namine asked._

"_Uh, I was just thinking…" Roxas started nervously._

"_What?" asked Axel, folding his arms._

"_Well, you know summer break is ending, right? We haven't done anything exciting so far!"_

"_Yeah, that's true." I agreed._

"_So, I was thinking…" Roxas turned to us all, excitement shining in his blue eyes. "Maybe we should plan a bonfire! It'll make this summer a time to remember."_

"_Sounds like a good idea, dude!" Demyx rested his arm on Roxas, who was clearly shorter._

"_Yeah, when is this?" Namine asked._

"_Well…I was sorta thinking…." Roxas mumbled._

"_Spit it out, will ya?" Axel asked._

"_I was thinking we could do this on Reina's birthday. Kinda like a party, ya know?" Roxas said, scratching his spiky hair._

"_That would be awesome!" I yelled, throwing myself around Roxas._

_Roxas instantly tensed up nervously. "Glad you like it…"_

"_Great, I'll go tell the others right away!" Demyx announced, heading to the handmade wooden boat he and Namine used to get here. _

"_And I should go to tell my parents about it…" Axel decided, turning to the boats. Without looking back, he said, "Are you lovebirds done yet? I have to get Reina home early or else her mom will kill me!"_

_Roxas looked a little shocked and turned red when Axel said 'lovebirds' while I just smiled at him, loving how he got so awkward at these moments._

"_See ya, then!" I said finally, hugging him again._

"…_.yeah, bye…" he muttered before I left. A familiar warmth spread over my body as I ran to Axel, who was waiting for me by the boat we arrived in…_

Your eyes flew open and you were so wrapped up in the dream that you half-hoped to wake up at the beach. You hastily sat up.

As expected, you were nowhere near a beach (even a world for all you know) and the bitter taste of disappointment filled you. You sighed, rubbing your eyes and wondered about what happened to Axel and Demyx…

They seemed like nice, friendly people in the dream, so why were they Organization members? And that girl…Namine…she was great too. She was even in one of your dreams before. In fact, she was the one who informed you that Roxas was going to meet you in the Land of Dragons now that you came to think about it.

*_What happened to all of them?_* Organization members were supposed to be Nobodies evil beings without hearts, so why were they being all nice to you in the dream?

* _Someone must've messed with their hearts_.* you guessed. *_But what…? Or who?_*

"_Reina! Hurry up and get ready! Then report to the Front immediately!" _Donald called through the intercom in a frustrated tone. You looked around and noticed there was nobody around, not even Chip and Dale. You got ready at breakneck speed and rushed to the Front.

"I'm here!" you panted slightly. You saw Donald looking slightly affronted while he crossed his arms.

"Finally! Let's just get this over with!" Donald muttered, and you were about to ask what was going on when Donald pointed his wand at you and waved it. Before you could cover yourself, a huge sphere of light engulfed you, tickling your body while you were being blinded.

When you blinked your eyes open, you noticed that you were suddenly closer to the ground than before. Before you could ask Donald what the spell was for, Goofy's head came into view.

"Hello!" he greeted happily, looking at you curiously. You just blinked. Since when did Goofy get this short? Did Donald just use some sort of shrinking spell to make everyone else shorter than him?

Then your eyes widened when you took in a full view of the new Goofy. Instead of being in the tall, lanky body he used to be, Goofy was now in a large green tortoise shell with short tortoise legs. A loud, playful roar filled the air and a heavy pressure flattened you to the ground.

"What the heck…?" you muttered, shaking you head. You looked around to see where the pressure came from, but the roar gave it away.

"Ha, I've got _all _of you guys!" Sora bragged obnoxiously, though he too wasn't in his human from. He was a small lion cub now, though he still didn't lose his noticeable spiky hair that contrasted against his dark brown fur and bright blue eyes.

Right then, another burst of light engulfed the room. Making things more stranger than they were, Donald reappeared as a smaller bird that was able to fly. Donald perched himself on the seat which his wand in his grumpy beak. Putting the wand away, he spoke.

"We've arrived in a world with a magical barrier around it." He announced. "I've put a put a spell on use that allows us to enter the world, but we can only get in like this."

"Oh, I get it…but then why are you guys all-?" you started to ask.

"Different?" Goofy finished. "It's not just us, Reina."

You looked down and jumped. You didn't have feet anymore! Instead, you had four furry paws that were the color of your skin. You circled around and also found that you had a tail with a black puff at the end, just like Sora. You were a lion cub too!

"Oh…my…_gosh_!" you exclaimed, looking at your new self. "This is so cool!"

"It is!" Sora agreed, chasing his tail around. Donald sighed heavily when he saw Sora and spoke with an annoyed air.

"Fine, then. Let's head out and get over with this." Donald muttered, flapping out of the room.

"What's wrong with _him_?" you asked, staring at Donald.

"Sora." Goofy replied, a smile forming on his face as he glanced at the energetic cub. "He's been annoying Donald since he changed into a lion."

You grinned at Sora, who was sneaking up on an already irritated Donald, and a special feeling enveloped your heart. It made you feel happy, safe and _complete_ when you were around him.

He really was a great friend.

"This place is kinda creepy…" Donald noted, looking around as you all walked deeper into the new world.

"Yeah…." You agreed. You all landed in a creepy, dark canyon-like area that had craters steaming out some green air.

Suddenly, a sinister cackle pierced the air, making you freeze up in fear. Soon, you were all circled by a gang of hyenas, all looking at you hungrily.

"Heartless?" Sora asked your group, looking at them with a fierce glare.

"I dunno, Sora…looks like they _live_ here!" Goofy replied, looking at the groups of hyenas that started to appear.

"Don't mind us!" Donald said with an uneasy, forced laugh. "Just passin' though, we won't be any trouble."

A female hyena stepped closer to your group and laughed, "Don't be silly! We'd _love_ for you to stick around for lunch!"

Another hyena approached you guys, licking his lips extra loud.

"Um...we didn't bring anything to eat!" you offered, though you thought it wouldn't help at all in this situation.

"That's not gonna be a problem…" another male hyena salivated, looking at Donald with a hungry eye.

Goofy confirmed the worst. "Gawrsh….I think _we're_ the lunch!"

All three hyenas laughed, as they came closer to you. Instantly, everyone broke up and dashed right past the hyenas, but that didn't get you all very far. You tripped twice before you could find shelter behind a huge rock. You peeked cautiously from behind it, and saw that Sora toppled over and was being approached by one of the male hyenas.

"Going somewhere?" he asked with an evil chuckle. You heart seemed to beat a million pulses per second that second as you were about to jump in and help Sora. Right then, a powerful and loud roar filled the sky, making the next few seconds pin drop silent.

"Man, that Scar's got the worst timing!" the male hyena scoffed, looking into the distance.

"Just let him roar." The female said, turning back to Sora.

"Nah…" the first said, looking away. He started to walk off. "We'd better go see what he wants. Sounds like he's grumpy enough already."

The female sighed, along with the other hyenas that were looking forward to a treat. "Fine, then…"

The hyenas left, making the canyon completely empty again.

"I don't know what that was all about…but I'm glad its over." Sora said, getting back up on all fours again. Everyone approached him to make sure he was okay.

"Me too!" you exclaimed anxiously. "Are you okay?"

Sora smiled. "Yeah. You?"

You nodded and looked around at the others, and they also admitted they were fine. "Everything's harder on four legs…" you said, looking down at your paws.

"Better start practicing!" Sora said, trying to jump around. He stumbled a little and was always on the verge of falling.

"I've found a trick to it." Goofy said proudly. "Here, lemme show ya!"

"I think we've got a hang of it!" Goofy announced after almost an hour of training.

"Yesh, ish great!" you said, still holding your Heartseeker in your mouth. Everyone looked at you oddly, and you spit out the weapon. "I said, 'it's great!'"

"Yeah, I'm finally getting the hang of it." Sora said, and then turned to you with a playful smile. "Though, I wish I could show off my awesome skills…"

"Ha, _you_ tripped seven times!" you grinned back.

Sora pretended to roll his eyes. "Oh, _someone's _jealous!"

"Jealous? I can beat you any day!"

This was the exact reaction Sora hoped for. "Fine, then. Try to beat me right now!"

The Heartseeker formed in your mouth once again. "Okay, den! Lezz see!"

Sora' Keyblade appeared in his mouth and the both of you playfully charged at each other. Donald shared a sideways glance with Goofy, who made a tiny nod. When you and Sora left with Aladdin and Jasmine to tour Agrabah, Donald told everything he suspected that went between you and Sora to Goofy. Seeing this, Goofy finally understood what Donald was talking about.

"Ha!" you yelled triumphantly, knocking Sora's Keyblade out of his mouth.

"Fine, fine, you won…" Sora muttered bitterly, a little disappointed that he lost.

You couldn't stop gloating."In. Your. _Face_!"

"Hmph." Sora stuck his nose up in the air and walked right past you. "Don't get so happy; I let you win that one."

"_Right_." You laughed, knowing he was just saying that to get back at you. You started to walk along with Sora, and Donald and Goofy followed, keeping a close eye on you both. It seemed that Sora was still sore from losing, so turned to talk to Donald and Goofy. You raised your eyebrow quizzically as you saw them looking at you with a sharp eye while walking several feet behind you and Sora.

"What's up, guys?" you asked.

They both suddenly looked alert and guilty. "Nothing…just lookin' around."

"Oh, okay." You muttered, still looking at them suspiciously. You didn't notice Sora stop by the foot of the hill, so you just walked right past him before he hissed, "Stop."

You turned to him incredulously. "Are you still really hung up on that stupid match?"

"No, seriously, stop…" Sora muttered, crouching down.

You rolled your eyes and kept moving. "Whatever."

You were still glaring at Sora as you kept moving so you didn't know what you bumped into next.

"What-?" you knocked your head against a huge gray rock. The rock was about four times bigger than you were and it was…_breathing_?

You looked around and saw that it also had a tail…a body…and _yellow, beady eyes_. You gulped. The Heartless breathed heavily on you, messing your fur up as you just stared back in fear.

Sensing another presence, the Heartless looked away from you and charged downhill. The Heartless and some of its friends circled a lioness that seemed a little confused, even though she growled dangerously at them.

"Heartless!" Donald announced. He shot a glance towards the group, and you all knew what you had to do. Goofy and Donald charged forward to help the lioness, while you turned apologetically towards Sora. "Sorry…"

Sora smiled at you before joining Donald and Goofy. "It's okay. Let's just go take down some Heartless!"

You grinned as you summoned the Heartseeker and went towards a rhino Heartless. The battle was extremely difficult, especially since you were fighting in a different body. You decided to use magic attacks to damage the Heartless while being a safe distance away from them. The lioness also helped now and then, biting and scratching at the Heartless whenever she can. Eventually, the Heartless disappeared, leaving the place Heartless free.

"Thank you." The lioness said, bowing her head down in appreciation. "You really saved me." Introductions went around and you found that lioness' name was Nala.

"We're just glad you're okay." Goofy said.

"Did you see any other Heartless here?" you asked Nala.

She shook her head. "Heartless? Is that what they're called? I'm not sure if they are any others... I don't usually hunt outside the Pride Lands."

"Pride Lands?" Donald repeated.

Sora suddenly became hopeful. "Hey, do you know if a guy named Riku is there? Or some bad guys in black hoods? Or maybe this really big bully named Pete?"

You became excited too. "How about a guy name Roxas?" Sora looked instantly annoyed.

Nala thought for a second but she shook her head.

"Oh well, might as well take a look anyway." You suggested, still hoping that there might be some trace of Roxas around this world. You smiled as an image of Roxas as a lion swam in your mind.

"Wait—the Pride Lands are dangerous! Scar and the hyenas have made things unbearable for everyone…" Nala explained sullenly. "There's no food left. They've driven off the prey. We're about to starve!"

"We can handle a little danger!"Sora insisted. "You just saw us beat those Heartless, didn't you?"

"I guess you're right...you could be just what the kingdom needs. Maybe you can help us." Nala reasoned and expression lightened.

"You mean take on all these hyenas and that guy named Scar?" Goofy asked and Nala nodded.

"Scar?" Donald repeated, confused.

Nala nodded. "He took over when our last king, Mufasa, died."

"So, you're saying that this guy is your king." Sora said, something lighting in his eyes. "You want us to take down your _king?_"

"Yes."

Sora turned to you all. "Just one moment."

"We can't just go around knocking kings off their thrones." You said at once, feeling like this was a bad idea already.

"Then again, if they see that I'm stronger than their king, maybe they'll ask me to be their next king!" Sora suggested brightly as everyone else sighed.

"Sora…" you all said at once.

Said lion laughed nervously. "I'd have to refuse of course. Still, I'd like to see the Pride Lands so you guys don't mind lending 'em a paw, do ya?"

Before anyone could object, Sora ran off to tell Nala that they were going to help her.

"There he goes again…" Donald sighed, shaking his head.

You saw Nala nod and run off as Sora approached you guys. "She's gonna go on ahead and tell the other lionesses. We're supposed to meet her at a place called Pride Rock. She said it isn't very far from here, so we should get there in time."

"I hope it's safe out there." Goofy muttered worriedly.

A playful grin spread across your face. "Don't worry, we have _King _Sora to protect us, don't we?"

Sora beamed while Donald snorted. "Then we might as well sprinkle salt and pepper on ourselves and go back to those hyenas." He said.

"Aw, don't be so harsh, Donald." You smirked. "Even though, it _may_ be true…"

"**Hey**!" Sora yelled.

Goofy sighed and cut in before Sora could retort. "I think we should just stay together and leave as soon as possible."

"You're right." Donald agreed, turning serious. "We should go right now, in fact. Lead the way, Sora."

Sora threw his nose up haughtily, before heading toward a huge, jagged rock in the distance. "Follow me!"

"We've made it!" Sora said triumphantly, staring up at the looming Pride Rock. There was actually nothing to be proud of in this land; just like Nala said, the land was bare and you barely caught any sights of wild animals on your way here.

"_And_ we're still **alive**!" you added, making Sora glare at you. A couple of lionesses looked up at you all curiously and a buzz of whispers settled around you all, making you feel unwelcomed.

"Who are they?"

"They look so _odd_…"

"I hope they don't intend to stay…"

"They sure look tasty."

Donald gulped loudly and started having second thoughts about this plan. Luckily for him, Nala appeared at that moment with an old baboon by her side.

She jerked her chin towards Sora, who looked confused. "That's him."

"Huh…?" was all Sora muttered as the baboon approached you. He scanned you all thoroughly, as if he was searching into everyone's soul then shook his head sadly. All the observing lionesses and Nala looked disappointed.

"What is it?" you asked a little nervously.

"I told Rafiki you might be able to help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the Pride Lands. But he says it won't work." Nala sighed deeply and then continued on explaining. "You see, whoever saves the Pride Lands will be our next king, and he has to have the right qualities."

"Meaning…?" Sora pressed.

"I think she means you're not cut out for the job, Sora." Goofy explained as Sora looked downcast.

"I'm sorry you came all this way." Nala apologized.

"Hey—no, it's okay." Sora assured her, feeling a little disappointed.

Nala suddenly looked more alert as she looked around cautiously. "You better get going before Scar finds out you're here." She urged in a low voice. "I'm really sorry."

"No problem." Donald said, feeling more than happy to leave.

You four were going back towards Wildebeest Valley when a group of familiar hyenas stopped you with starving eyes.

"Hey, a snack! Look, Shenzai!" a male hyena licked his lips hungrily.

"Snack? Nah, we've got ourselves a full meal, Banzai!" the female hyena named Banzai said as the third male hyena cackled.

Just then, a loud roar made the fur all over you stand up straight. You felt a dark aura nearing you, and sure enough, a massive lion with a wild black mane was staring down at you all from the tip of Pride Rock. "Hey, look! Here comes Scar, the _king_."

To make things worse, there was a familiar furry lion-like creature next to him. Again, it was that same nuisance named Pete.

"Pete!" Goofy yelled out.

Scar jumped down gracefully from the pointed tip of Pride Rock and the feeling of darkness grew in you. Pete tried to copy Scar, but resulted in bouncing down the rocks like a rubber ball.

"Oh, my back…" he whined.

"What're you doing here?" Sora demanded. Behind Sora's back, hyenas started assaulting you, Donald and Goofy from all sides.

Pete laughed heartily. "Aw, the cute lil kitty's worried about me. If I were you, I'd be more worried about my friends."

"We're surrounded, Sora!" Donald exclaimed hysterically.

Scar smiled hungrily at you all before turning to all the other lionesses. "Go on, ladies - you've got some hunting to do."

"We can't hunt in a land where there is no prey, _Scar_." A lioness complained angrily.

"No prey?" Scar repeated. "Then what do you call _this_?"

"P-p-prey?" Goofy stuttered. "We're not prey!"

"Well, they're yours, Scar, just leave the two little lions over there so I can deliver them to Maleficent." Pete said. Scar didn't seem to care what Pete said when he moved closer to Sora hungrily.

"Get away from him!" you growled, standing in front of Sora defensively.

"Oh…nice and fresh too…" Scar said with a satisfied tone. Your heart started to beat a hundred times more quickly out of fear, but before Scar could even bear his teeth Nala dashed over to your aid and pinned Scar down.

"Run!" she yelled to you all. Without another word, you and the other outran the hyenas and Scar. Within a few seconds, Nala was also by your side.

"Follow me!" with a burst of speed, Nala went ahead to lead you to a clear, deserted area in the savannah. Once clear of the hyenas and Scar, everyone stopped to take a much needed break. "I'm sorry I got you all involved in this." Nala apologized wither hear head down.

"It's no big deal." Sora waved off as everyone else looked at him incredulously.

"Aw, it's not _your_ fault that Sora wouldn't make a good king." Donald said.

Sora became instantly defensive. "Hey, I had to give a try, right?"

"Ah ha! So you _did_ want to become king!" you confirmed, catching Sora off guard.

"Yeah, well….you know…" Sora stabbed his paw to the ground nervously, not wanting to continue the subject of his aspirations.

Thankfully for him, Goofy changed the subject. "Uh Nala, isn't there anyone else who can become king?"

"There was..." Nala told you all sadly. "But he died when he was just a cub. He was the son of our last king, Mufasa." She looked up to the sky. "If only Simba were here…."

"Simba?" Sora repeated, surprised. "But Simba's just fine! He was fighting right beside us not that long ago!"

Nala's expression changed into pure excitement. "You mean Simba's alive? But where is he?"

"That—I don't know." Sora admitted, but that didn't discourage Nala.

"Still…Simba's alive! I can't believe it!" She yelped excitedly. "Please, tell me all about him!"

"Of course!"

"But first," Nala turned a little serious. "We should get away from Scar. We'll go through the Wildebeest Valley. He won't follow us there."

Nala started leading the way as Sora started retelling his adventures with Simba.

"You must be really close to Simba, huh?" Goofy guessed and Nala nodded.

"Yes…we were childhood friends. We used to go out all the time and pull pranks on Zazu, the King's advisor, all the time." she trailed off, as if she were remembering all the memories that she and Simba had.

You felt a little jealous of Nala. She was able to meet her lost childhood friend after so many years, whereas you had to go around searching worlds just to spend a couple of minutes with Roxas. The more you thought about it, the more you lost hope in ever returning to Twilight Town with him.

"Nala…" you said suddenly. "Did you ever feel like you would never see Simba again, that you truly believed he was dead?"

"Yes, and no. After we were told that Simba died alongside our king, Mufasa, I searched the whole Pride Lands but—"

"You never saw him." You completed and Nala nodded.

"I never actually saw him again, but I never forgot about him. Even though years past, I don't think there was a day where I didn't think about him, so I don't think he was ever truly dead for me."

"Oh, so he was alive in your heart, then!" Goofy said and Nala nodded with a smile.

"Right. I never lost the tiny hope of seeing him again so, I think holding on to that hope finally paid off!" She said happily. "I'm going to see him again!"

That statement struck you deep. Maybe all you had to do was have a little hope, and hold on to that hope. You couldn't even guess how long it would take to be with Roxas again…but no matter how long it took, you would always be waiting, _searching_ for him. You would never lose sight of that hope.

"Who told you he was dead anyways?" Donald asked.

Nala's expression turned livid. "Scar."

Just at that moment, Rafiki called for everyone attention from the top of the canyon you were walking through. "It is time!" he shouted joyfully, pointing towards an oasis.

"It must be Simba! Hurry!" Nala cried happily, running past everyone towards the oasis. You all never caught up to her, but reached the oasis in time to see a group of Heartless. You all pulled out your weapons, but a loud, proud roar made the Heartless disappear at once.

"Simba!" Sora shouted happily, running towards him. Simba took a couple of steps back and looked at you all defensively.

"It's me, Sora!" he tried again. "Donald and Goofy are here too…and this is my friend, Reina."

Simba took a close look at everyone before his eyes widened in surprise. "Sora! Donald! Goofy!" he cried cheerfully, happy to see his friends after so long. "What happened to you all?" he asked, getting closer to everyone. He nudged Sora curiously with his paw, which accidentally tipped Sora over.

Before anyone could explain, a loud cry for help rang out through the lush oasis. "Help! Simbaaa! _Heeeelp_! She's gonna eat us!"

Simba looked up. "Timon? Pumbaa? Something must have happened in the jungle! I have to go help my friends!" he said, dashing off into the jungle.

"And we'll back you up!" Sora said, following Simba. But instead of finding Heartless like you expected, you found a frightened meerkat and warthog and the thing they were frightened of was none other than Nala.

The lioness was ready to pounce on them, but Simba intervened and before you knew it, Nala and Simba were fighting _each other_.

"Simba! Stop!" Donald shouted, but it didn't look like either of them were ready to listen. The battle started to become more furious and Nala even pinned Simba to the ground.

Goofy tried a different approach. "It's Nala! Don't you recognize her, Simba?"

"Nala…?" Simba repeated. Nala got off him and her blank face slowly turned to that of joy. "It's me, Simba!"

"Simba!" she cried happily as they circled each other excitedly. "You're _alive_!" Simba and Nala started banging their heads affectionately, happy to see each other again after so many years. After Nala and Simba's joyful reunion, you learned that Timon, the meerkat and Pumbaa, the warthog, have been taking care of Simba ever since his disappearance from Pride Rock.

"Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?" Simba said through Timon's chatter. He and Nala went towards the jungle, no doubt trying fill in each other about what went on the past years.

"Why am I not surprised?" Timon sighed with a shrug before returning to his chatter, which only Donald and Goofy were listening to attentively. You were looking around at the sights, wondering how such a beautiful place could survive in such a wasteland.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Sora asked, distracted from Timon's babbling.

"Nothing…it's just so pretty here." You noted, looking around the lush vegetation and serenity that seemed to be this place's essence.

"It is." Sora agreed. He suddenly turned to you and said, "Thanks for having my back over there."

You were confused for a second but remembered when you stood your ground against Scar for Sora. "No problem." You smiled. "I knew you wouldn't stand a chance against him." You added, as a joke.

Sora's eyes lit up and he smiled too. "Oh please, you only put yourself up because you knew he wouldn't eat you."

"Won't eat me?" you grinned, expecting a retort. "Why not?"

Sora laughed. "I bet you taste like bugs. I don't think he would want to risk food poisoning."

"Then, at least I would taste better than your cooking." You countered.

"Yeah you—" Sora looked confused. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Instead of answering, you changed the subject. "I feel kinda hungry…aren't you?"

"Yeah." Sora turned to Timon and Pumbaa. "You guys got anything to eat?"

You nudged Sora. "You're being rude!" you hissed.

However, Timon and Pumbaa didn't seem to mind. "Why of course! It's about lunch time anyways." Timon looked at the dark blue sky where little points of light were popping everywhere. A quarter moon brightened the sky, though not by much. The darkness the covered most of the moon prevented most of the light from escaping.

Timon turned to Pumbaa. "Pumbaa, why don't you show our guests to the table while I prepare some food?"

"My pleasure, Timon." Pumbaa said. "This way, guys."

Pumbaa directed you all to a hollow log with a flat top, like a dining table. You took a seat at the end, while Sora sat beside you.

"You guys are in for a real treat!" Pumbaa said happily. "Timon picks the best for his food!"

You instantly thought of a mouthwatering array of fruits and veggies all mixed up to make up an exotic salad. When Timon arrived with three platters of "food" wrapped in leaves, you expected something that was at least edible. Unfortunately for you, you were completely wrong.

"It tastes better when you share it with someone." Timon told you all, serving the three plates between you and Sora, Donald and Goofy, and him and Pumbaa.

"It's just like a paopu fruit!" you exclaimed, looking at Sora. Sora's face fell when he looked at the meal.

"Yeah, but this is _far_ from a paopu fruit." He said. You also looked down and nearly squealed.

Instead of the delicious variety of fruits and veggies that you imagined, there were _bugs_! A colorful, slimy array of creepy crawlies filled the leaf plate and you couldn't take your eyes off of this highly unusual meal.

"And _what_ were you saying about my cooking?" Sora asked with a grin.

You wondered if Timon and Pumbaa brought this plate by mistake, but when you turned to them, they were too busy digging on beetles, worms and slugs to notice anything else. Donald and Goofy also looked unsure about this meal.

But Sora, brave at heart and hungry in the stomach, decided to give it a try. He shut his eyes tight and clutched a struggling beetle between his claws. Sora quickly jammed the bug in his mouth and chewed quickly while you, Donald and Goofy watched with bated breath. At first, his expression was disgusted, but it gradually changed into wonder and satisfaction.

"Hey! This is actually good!" he exclaimed, looking down at the plate shared by you and him.

"I knew you'd like it!" Timon mumbled through a mouthful of bugs.

"Dig in!" Pumbaa cried merrily. At this, Donald and Goofy looked at each other with unsure expressions. Goofy looked at his plate doubtfully but then shrugged and dug his face into it. When he claimed and took in a slippery worm, he too looked satisfied.

"You guys should really give this a try!" he insisted and then went back to eating. Donald followed Goofy's example and soon everyone was eating except for you.

You flat out refused to eat bugs, no matter how starving you were.

"Aw, cmon! Give it a try!" Sora urged. He suddenly had a bright spark in his eye when he said, "They're not as bad as you think. Why don't you try a worm? Those are easy to get down and they're tasty too."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, completely! I'll even eat one with you." Taking Sora's word, you stared down at the plate tentatively.

"Try that one, it looks good." He pointed to a very long worm.

You took a deep breath and picked up the worm with your claws. Closing your eyes, you placed the worm between your lips and started chewing furiously, taking in a piece of worm as you kept chewing.

You didn't expect what happened next.

Just as you started getting used to the taste of the worms, your lips hit something furry. Your green eyes flew open, then widened in shock; that fur belonged to Sora.

_You were kissing Sora!_

_**!Author's Note!**_

Big thanks to XRarityofTearsX for beta-ing this for me!

Okie dokes, I wanna start off by saying **sorry for the delay**! There was some major testing going on and I had to give my full attention to studying (no matter how much I wanted to update xP) This chapter was going to turn out as something else, but it became too long so I had to cut out some scenes…and yet it's still too long xp. I hope you enjoyed it, though!

So, question time! There sure a lot I have to ask you this time around…

What parts did you like or dislike, if any? What do you think is going to happen between Reina and Sora after this kiss? Do you think Sora did this on purpose? Did you guys find any symbolism concerning Sora's heart? What about Reina's attachment to Roxas? Do you think it'll start to fade after the kiss? And finally, the dream. Do you guys have any idea of Reina's connection to it and the people in it, or no?

I'd really appreciate it if you guys could answer these questions as honestly as you can! I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can~!

~narcotic-lullaby

p.s I apologize if you guys find any mistakes…if you do, just tell me and I'll fix them asap!


	20. Aftershock

Sora's heart instantly told him that what he wanted to do was a really, _really_ bad idea and for a second, he hesitated. But in that short second, the darkness that was brooding in his heart ever since the incident at Port Royal shouted to him. It convinced him that what he was about to do was okay, even though the pure, untouched part of his heart pleading her to reconsider and to remember that you had someone else that you cared about- Roxas.

The strange, yet familiar darkness used this to provoke jealously and resentment; the only two feelings that seemed to consume him at the mention of your childhood friend's name. Giving into the darkness, Sora took the 'food' and used to get closer to you.

As yours and his lips touched, it was as if an electric shock surged through both of your searing not only your bodies, but also through your hearts. You oddly caught a scent of seal-salt ice cream before you flinched back.

Shock, embarrassment, and even hurt filled your green eyes as they contacted blue ones. Sora's eyes reflected your emotions as he thought, *_Right…that has _**got **_the most stupid thing I've ever done!_*

Right now, the pure part of his heart was keeping Darkness contained, but it was only a matter of time till it conquered his heart—again.

You, on the other hand, couldn't hold his gaze and neither the shocked looks of Donald and Goofy, who watched the whole scene with wide eyes. There was silence between you four and they only thing you heard was blood pounding all over your body furiously, cancelling out all thought. Embarrassment and shock hung in the air like a thick web and Sora decided to be the first one to break it.

"Hey, look, I'm—" he took a couple of steps toward you and you mirrored him by taking a couple back. He hung his head down and said, "I'm really sorry…"

At that moment, Nala stomped into the scene, heading towards the exit. She looked seriously pissed about something, and you were happy that direction of attention changed from you and Sora to her.

"What happened?" Goofy asked loudly.

"He's definitely not the Simba I remember….something about hakuna matata or something…." She grumbled as she passed you all.

Timon and Pumbaa heard this and sighed. "I think we should go talk to him…" the meerkat said while Pumbaa nodded. They both left their meal and went off to talk to Simba. Just a few seconds after she left, Simba rushed in. He looked confused about something as he watched Nala stalk off and a wave of thought engulfed him.

Timon and Pumbaa, who stopped their "meal" as soon as Nala mentioned Simba, sighed heavily.

"We should go talk to him, shouldn't we?" Timon said, getting up. Pumbaa nodded and followed his little friends towards where Simba disappeared.

"We should go with them." You said immediately, not looking at anyone. You heard them behind you as you followed Timon and Pumbaa's tracks, forcing yourself not to look back.

"Shh, Pumbaa! He's still talking!"

"I _am_ quiet!"

Both Pumbaa and Timon were both peeking at something from behind a giant leaf, which wasn't enough to cover both of them. Before anyone could ask, Simba's voice called, "You can all come out, now."

"You really are a king, aren't you?" Timon whispered in awe and amazement.

"Yes." Simba nodded. "And I'm going back home to face my past. I could really use your help."

"Of course! We'll be by your side through it all!" Pumbaa said earnestly and everyone else nodded in complete agreement.

"Let's go home…" Simba whispered, leading you all to the Pride Lands.

Simba was blown away as soon as he saw the Pride Lands. Everything, from the once lush grassland around Pride Rock, right up to Pride Rock itself was desolate and deserted. He was resolute when he stalked off aggressively towards Pride Rock, quicker than everyone else. When he was out of earshot, Timon muttered, "We're gonna fight his big, bad ol' uncle for _this?"_

"Yes, Timon…it's my home." Simba said, making the little meerkat jump in surprise. Simba strode quickly over to Pride Rock, causing many shouts of surprise and joy to fill the dead air. The noise attracted Scar's attention and he lazily took a glance over, only for him to jump in shock as he watched with wide eyes as the young cub he thought he left to die in the desert approached him violently.

"S-Simba! You're…alive!" Scar shouted, attracting more attention—namely Nala's. Her blue eyes sparkled with pride as she proclaimed, "This kingdom doesn't belong to you, Scar! Simba's the rightful king!"

Simba met Nala's eyes briefly, and they both smiled, making any argument between them vanish. Simba turned to scar with cold anger as he threatened, "The choice is yours, Scar. Either step down or fight."

"Must this all end in violence? I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, Simba…"Scar said slyly.

"I put the past behind me." Simba said cautiously, knowing where Scar might take this conversation.

"But what about your faithful subjects?" Scar smirked, looking around. "Have _they_?"

"Simba….what is he talking about?" Nala asked with concern.

"Oh, go on Simba. Tell them who's responsible for Mufasa's death." Scar's eyes glittered maliciously as Simba looked defeated and scared.

"I am." Simba muttered.

"Say it louder, I'm sure they can't hear you." Scar taunted.

Simba looked up. "I am!"

Everybody on Pride Rock was completely stunned and Scar used this moment of Simba's weakness to turn the tide against his nephew.

"He admits it! Murderer! If it weren't for you, Mufasa would still be alive. Do you deny it?" Mufasa said every sentence by taking a step towards Simba as Simba mirrored him by taking each step back.

Simba shook his head violently and looked like a lost child. "No! But… but it was an accident!"

Mufasa kept pushing back until everyone could barely hear them. Everyone gasped as Simba slipped over the edge of the cliff, holding on to the edge with his claws with all his might. At that point, Mufasa leaned down and whispered something, setting a raging fire in Simba's eyes. With a sudden strength, Simba climbed over the cliff and pounced on Scar, digging his claws into his uncle's neck.

"Louder! Tell them who killed my father!" Simba yelled.

"Alright!" Scar choked. "_I_ killed him…._I killed Mufasa_!"

From nowhere, a whole army of hyenas appeared, laughing manically. "At em, guys! We're having a feast!" Shenzai shouted, and an instant lioness-hyena war started. Instant chaos ensued and you summoned the Heartseeker, glaring at all the hyenas.

You turned your focus to a group of three hyenas who approached you hungrily. Lunging forward, you struck the middle hyena, throwing it off balance while leaving the other two a little stunned that such a small creature could have so much strength.

"Scuse me! Pardon me! Comin' through!" Before you could strike the other two, Timon came riding on Pumbaa out of nowhere, sending the hyenas in front of them flying away.

"You guys should check on Simba!" Pumbaa shouted to your group. "I'm sure he can handle Scar alone, but you'll never know what he might have up his sleeves."

Sora nodded and approached Nala, who just scared off a hyena. "Where's Simba?"

"He went up there!" Nala jabbed her paw to the peak of Pride Rock.

Sora beckoned you all to follow him up to the peak. Once you got there, you saw Scar and Simba circling each other as rain started pouring heavily on the scene.

Sora made a movement to go join the fight, but Donald stopped him saying, "This is his fight, Sora."

The fight became more intense as both lions used more aggressive attacks. Simba and Scar were fighting dangerously close to the edge of the cliff and every violent movement seemed like it was going to throw the opponent off the edge. Simba fell close to the edge on his back and Scar was about to pounce on him when Simba did a powerful kick that made Scar slide over the edge.

Scar was barely holding on to the edge of the cliff with all the strength he had. The rain made it hard to hear anything, so when Simba leaned down to tell Scar something; you just noticed the pure revenge and anger that was in his eyes. You were a little shocked when Simba dug his nails into Scar's paws, forcing the lion to let go and fall onto the rocky ground below.

There was a huge shout of celebration as everyone circled Simba. Simba looked around at everyone with pride in his eyes then looked up at the sky. The rain subsided and the clouds in the sky looked oddly like a lion, looking down at you all with the same pride that shone in Simba's.

"Thank you, father." He whispered, looking up.

"Interesting….really interesting." A deep voice echoed into a dim room, lighted only by the glare of huge computers radiating off endless streams of diagrams and data. Out of the jumbled mess of information, DiZ and Namine were fixated mostly on a diagram of a girl with a heart next to her.

"Her heart is already reaching fifty-six percent recovery and yet she's just now remembering her old friends."

"I know." Namine muttered through gritted teeth, trying to hold back the wave of made-up frustration behind her mask of calm.

*_I didn't put all this work and effort to fail! Everything was going smoothly, then why…?_* Her eyes widened slightly as she came to the only possible conclusion. *_There must've been a really strong interaction between her and Sora…ohhh, Roxas isn't gonna like this. I need to get him in contact with her as soon as I can…._*

"The sooner you clear her memories, Namine, the better." DiZ told her, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

Afraid of showing her frustration, Namine just nodded and left the room through a door of darkness.

*_Yeah, better for her and worse for me…but I'm not going to let that happen._*

Simba's victorious roar was the cherry on top for everyone on Pride Rock after you all brought down Scar's evil reign and locked the keyhole for this world. You should've been feelings as happy as everyone around you, but you couldn't even come close to a feeling of happiness. Thoughts of Sora kissing you plagued your mind like a fatal disease. It wasn't actually about what Sora did (you knew Sora wasn't the type to do something so bold) but it was because how it made you _feel_.

The kiss filled you with a sweet, complete feeling that was familiar yet so foreign. It felt much more than a kiss to you, and that's what you were scared of.

*_I have a _boyfriend* you kept telling yourself as you all headed back to the Gummi Ship. *_I love him and he loves me…end of story._* You took a quick glance at Sora and thought, *_Besides, I know he doesn't … like me like that._*

"Gawrsh, I'm so tired!" Goofy said, stretching. Everyone was inside the Gummi Ship safe and sound, and their original forms.

"Yeah, me too." You agreed, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I'm gonna sleep, guys. 'Night."

"Wait, aren't you hungry? Goofy asked, not realizing that what he asked caused the awkward air to settle over again. "I know I am. Those— ow!" From the corner of your eye, you saw Donald and Sora glare at him, and the brunette was as red as tomatoes.

There was an awkward pause for a few seconds before you muttered, "I'm not hungry, thanks. Just tired…." You stalked off, cleaning up before you hit the couch.

For once, you ignored everyone and just mumbled a general "Goodnight" before you lay on your couch, thinking.

*_I wonder what's Sora's feeling about this….if he's feeling anything at all…_* You thought of his wonderful contagious laugh, his gentle, protective touch that let you know he was there for you when you needed him, his sweet, sapphire gaze that made you feel warm inside….

You shook your head, clearing your thoughts. *_Snap out of it! Why would he feel anything? Heck, why would __**I**__ feel anything? I first started this journey because of Roxas….I love him…*_

As you rolled over and shut your eyes, you ignored a tiny, doubtful voice in your heart that told you that the answers to those questions weren't what you thought…

"_Hey! Heeey! Give that back!"_

"_I will…if you can get it!"_

_Axel and Namine bickered over firewood as we laughed at the scene. "We" being me, Demyx and a few of my other friends I couldn't grasp the names of. Sadly, there was no sign of Roxas yet._

_It was evening and the sun was saying its last goodbyes, leaving behind a trail of pink and orange to tinge the sky, setting a perfect contrast to the darker waves that rolled beneath it. My friend's voices suddenly turned harder to hear; they were more distorted. It was as if they were coming out of a broken radio and before I could focus on them anymore, I heard my name being called._

"_Reina! Over here!" Roxas was waving at me from the shore._

_I waved back saying, "What're you doin over there? Hurry up, we're about to light the fire!"_

"_Well…just come over here for a sec!" he shouted back._

"_Fine, fine." I said, getting up. Axel noticed this and became temporarily distracted from annoying Namine. _

"_Ohhh, Reina and Roxas sitting in a tree, kay-eye—!" _

"_Ha! I've got it!"Namine cried triumphantly, holding up the piece of wood she snatched from Axel. She turned to me and said, "Hurry up, kay? You don't wanna miss your thirteenth birthday party!"_

_I nodded and ran over to Roxas, who looked a little embarrassed. _

"_So, what's up?" he asked randomly, scratching his neck. He was a little red in the cheeks and he couldn't seem to meet my eyes._

"_Your gravity-defying hair." I replied, pointing to his head. _

_He made an awkward smile and asked, "Wanna walk?"_

_I smiled. "Sure."_

_We started walking away from our group of friends, to a group of trees clustered around the shore. I noticed that he was clutching something in his hand, but I didn't ask since I was too concerned on the expression on his face. _

_He didn't look like the same, cheerful guy I've known him to be. Something was obviously bothering him, and all he said when I asked him was, "No, I'm fine…"_

_We walked in silence until he stopped out of nowhere, looking at the fading horizon. _

_I tilted my head. "Huh?"_

_He looked at me sheepishly. "It's your birthday and all, so…I thought I'd make you something." He held out a little coarsely wrapped package to me and I beamed at him. I hugged him tightly and muttered at least about a million 'thank you's a minute. I ripped open the package and nearly jumped in delight._

_Inside was a delicate, silver chain that sparkled even in the low lighting. On it was a coarsely made wooden locket, in the shape of a paopu fruit._

"_I'm glad you like it…" He said, embarrassed. "I made it myself, y'know."_

"_It's beautiful." I said honestly, smiling. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off as an idea hit me._

"_Hey! I've got an idea!" I chimed. _

"_What?"_

"_Why don't we share a __real__ paopu fruit?"_

_When he made no immediate comment or reaction, I felt myself turn red and mutter, "I was just…kidding, y'know, I—"_

"_Yeah."_

_I looked up. "Really?"_

"_Let's get one right now!"_

_He grabbed my hand led me over to a tree filled with paopu fruits. It was low enough so we didn't need a ladder and he plucked out one for us to share._

_He gently ripped the fruit into equal halves and handed one half of the sweet fruit to me. I frowned as he had a dead, hollow expression as he shared the fruit. He was really quiet—a sign that something was really off, and it wasn't because he was shy._

"_What's wrong? And don't say nothing!" I added hastily when he opened his mouth. _

_He smiled wryly and muttered, "I don't know…it's just that I feel like…I'm going to lose you."_

_I raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get __that__ from?"_

_He chuckled dryly and said, "I dunno."_

_Without so much as a thought, I leaned up and kissed him. He was surprised for a second but he accepted this embrace and held me gently by the waist, as if I was going to disappear any minute. I felt as if something in me was finally complete, and my heart was filled with a new energy that was sudden, yet I gratefully accepted it._

"_Nothing can separate me from you." I whispered. "Besides,"_

_I held up my half of the fruit as sugary juice trickled down my arm. " 'Two hearts connected, sharing an unbreakable bond,' "_

" '_No matter how far apart they are, they'll always be reunited as one.' Yeah, yeah, I know that stupid legend."_

_He grinned, making it seem like all the worry that was in him vanish in an instant. He took a bite of his half of the fruit and I joined him. _

_One hand was holding the paopu fruit and the other was holding his hand as we finished the fruit in tranquil silence, watching the sin's last rays light the sky as waved rolled calmly around us. I gasped and finally remember the others back at the fire site! Ohh, they're gonna be real mad…._

_I turned to Roxas to tell him, but it wasn't Roxas I saw._

_It was Sora._

You awoke with a start.

*_I'm…thinking about him way too much…_* you thought instantly. You thought about the dream…was it another one of those memories Roxas was talking about? Or was it just another dream, nothing special about it at all?

*_What if it was a little bit of both?_* you wondered. *_It felt wayyy to vivid to be a dream and…maybe I just dreamt up the part at the end?_*

It sure sounds like a possible reason; how else did Sora end up in your dream? Besides, Roxas already gave you a necklace identical to the one in your dream and you were pretty sure that the last part of the dream was just another version of that moment.

Still thinking, you headed straight to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead of you. After you cleared your thoughts with water, you decided to go to the Front, to see what the others were doing. As you turned to the door that led to the cockpit however, you jumped back in fear.

Coming towards you was a small mummy, accompanied by two taller zombie-like creatures! They were approaching you making grotesque noises, making you feel like you somehow ended up in some horror movie.

*_Heartless!* _came to your mind instantly. *_How did they get in the Gummi Ship?_*

Without another thought, you summoned the Heartseeker at once and flung it at them like a boomerang. You didn't expect the Heartless that you hit to fly back so far, nor the other two to jump back in surprise.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" the mummy shouted.

"Donald…?" you said, recognizing the voice. You took a closer look at them and finally noticed their distinctive features; Donald's yellow beak and webbed feet, Goofy's floppy ears. Then, the one you hit should be…

"Sora!" you exclaimed. He sat up as soon as he heard his name and his grin was visible under his new getup. You lent your hand out to help him up, and he smiled and reached out for your hand. But as soon you touched, yesterday's events flashed in your mind. A furious blush tinged your cheeks and you straightened, turning your back to him. He looked confused for a second, but looked down as he figured out the reason you backed away.

You faced Donald and Goofy. "What were you guys trying to do?"

"Sora said it'd be funny to scare you while we're still in our Halloween Town costumes." Goofy said. You glanced at him and caught a bit of his goofy, hopeful smile but otherwise continued as if Goofy hadn't mentioned Sora.

"Then, I don't see what you were trying to do, Donald." You grinned. "You've got to be at least till _here_ to scare me."

You gestured to a little bit above your head and Goofy chuckled. Donald just rolled his eyes and said coolly, "We'll see about that when you get to Halloween Town. Now, stand still."

You did as told and Donald waved his wand. There was a puff of black smoke that made you tear up a little, and you felt suffocated.

When the cloud of smoke cleared, you looked down to see that your sneakers were replaced by black lace-up boots that went a little bit above your ankle. You had fishnet leggings that led up to a black and red low-cut dress. The outfit seemed like a variation of something Elizabeth Swann back from Port Royal would wear, complete with a suffocating corset. There were small, black angel wings protruding from the back of the dress, and your gloved were replaced a more lacey, feminine type that went up to your elbow. You touched your throat and felt a satin choker with delicate metal chains connected to a small paopu fruit in the middle of the ornament. Your hair was down for the first time in a while; light curls ended the cascade of black hair.

"Well," you said, twirling around. "How do I look?"

Donald walked past you to the exit saying, "Would it hurt to say that we don't care?"

"Hey!"

"I think you look nice, Reina." Goofy said kindly.

"Thanks." You smiled at Goofy and followed him to the exit. On the other hand, you glared at Donald as you muttered "At least _I_ don't look like I've been wrapped in toilet paper."

"**Hey**!"

You and Donald continued bickering as Goofy was stuck in the middle, trying to pacify the argument.

Sora followed you all, with a light frown on his lips as he thought about the way you rejected his hand before.

*_She's still embarrassed*_ He thought, thinking about how you blushed. *_…_._There's gotta be a way to get her to get her over that stupid kiss!_*

He sighed, stepping out into the dark night of Halloween Town. He saw that you were all crowded around something.

"It's…so…_cool_!" you exclaimed.

"What?" Sora asked.

"This little guy." You said, not taking your eyes off of a small ghost with a bright red nose. The ghost looked back at your with equal interest and did a little flip when he saw Sora. Zero, or what the others called the ghost, gestured you all to follow him over to a bridge that led to a town that was lit by tiny orange lights everywhere.

The town's square certainly matched its name; there were creepy jack-o-lanterns lit everywhere, and you felt they were staring right at you. Several of them hung on top of a scarecrow's bodies, which were everywhere: from the looming, ominous fence to the fountain that spewed out some glowing green liquid. The only thing that seemed a little out of place was a huge wooden ramp.

"What's that for?" you asked, pointing. As a reply, a huge rumble shook the ground and the chime of bells was heard. Searching for the noise, you looked up and saw a team of huge, white ghosts charging at you!

"Look out!" you screamed, ducking while keeping your hands protectively around your neck and head, just like the drills at your school in Twilight Town.

Instead of the impact you expected, the rumbling continued even stronger until everything went silent for a second.

A great, deep voice said, "Sora! Donald! Goofy! Welcome back! And…who are you?"

Cautiously, you peeked open and caught a super tall skeleton clothed in a long, black suit grinning at you curiously. You jumped back in surprise and yelped, causing your friends to laugh.

You felt your cheeks warm up as you staggered back up. "I'm Reina."

The skeleton continued smiling as he said merrily, "Merry Christmas!"

You blinked at him. "Merry Christmas?"

"Don't you mean Happy Halloween?" Sora asked. You wondered the same thing. This place certainly wasn't the first image that popped into your mind when you thought about Christmas.

"Of course! Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King!" the skeleton said, making a scary face. "Forgive me, I'm in a Christmas mood. You see, I'm running the show again this year but I need Sandy Claw's blessing so I'm off to Christmas Town."

"Sandy Claws…?" You repeated blankly.

"I think he means Santa Claus." Sora whispered to you. You turned to him and realized how close you two were standing; your hands were almost touching. With a hint of color tingeing your cheeks, you moved slightly away, trying to keep your focus on the Jack.

"Aren't these Christmas decorations wonderful?" the Pumpkin King went on. "This year Halloween Town's going to handle Christmas too! But first, we have to visit Sally. She's working on something no self-respecting Sandy Claws can do without. Come along - I'll show you!"

He went off as Goofy mumbled. "A Halloween Town Christmas…?"

"Let's go check it out." Sora insisted, already starting to follow Jack.

Donald sighed and muttered, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

Looking around at the scary ornaments adorning the Town, you couldn't agree more. You had a feeling that you were being watched, and you hurried to catch up with your friends, scared that something might pop up out of nowhere.

What you didn't know was that the people watching you weren't going to reveal themselves just yet.

"Namine was right…I can feel the memories fading away from me." Axel said, looking down at Reina and her friends walking inside some laboratory. He and Roxas were camouflaged safely on the rooftop of a darkened building, on Namine's asking.

Roxas just stared down at them until they disappeared into the laboratory. He had a stony expression, one that was contorted purely of hate and one that Axel knew only too well.

Lately, Roxas had been driven by a will to defeat Sora in every way possible; so much so that one can call it an obsession. Axel wondered if these emotions were so strong because they've recently been in contact with Reina's memories and he was able to keep and use those memories and emotions like they were his own or was it because he knew that they weren't. Maybe it was a mixture of both.

"Let's just get as many hearts as we can and get her out of this world as fast as possible." Roxas said, his voice low and gravelly.

"Right." Axel nodded. There was a loud scream and the Nobodies looked down to see a short man running away from a bunch of Heartless. Roxas looked at his friend and Axel nodded once again, and they both jumped down from the rooftops with their hoods up.

*_One objective down, one more to go…_* Roxas thought, slashing at the Heartless.*_I want to get her away from here as soon as possible…away from _him_…._*

* * *

_**~Author's Note**_

**FINALLY! T.T** Sorry it took so long guys, really xp I had a lot of…stuff going on (likebasicallybeinglazy xp)

_Buuuut_! I'm back! And I'm already starting on the next chapters, (which I'm excited about ^.^)I know I kind of rushed the Pride Rock scenes a little bit, but if I didn't, the chapter would've been super long and I wouldn't have been able to put in the dream, which I reallllly wanted to get into this chapter. This chapter was kind of a giveaway spoiler type of thing for events in the future, and I'm sure you guys have a gist of what's going on now…I hope xp

Anyways, on to the questions….

Any parts you liked or disliked? Any thoughts about Reina's memories or the Nobodies connection with them? Any ideas about Reina's connection to Sora? Tell me all about it, I really wanna know! ^.^

~narcotic-lullaby


	21. Rewriting!

Sorry if you were expecting a chapter! I have some really important news to announce…

Some of you may know this already, but…I'm gonna rewrite Close Your Eyes, Open Your Heart. xp

I've already decided it after a whole week of thinking and I've finally come up with a plot x3 It's just a totally different version of the original, and I plan to make the rewrite more clearer and try to triple-check for any weird mistakes I find xp I know it's all so sudden, but I've reread the rest of the story recently and I saw a bunch of holes and unnecessary things that I should have fixed in the beginning xp

So, I'd like to ask you guys for some help. Do any of you have suggestions on how I can improve the story? What things would you like to see in the rewrite that you haven't seen in the original? Or, what do you want to see more of? Any things that were unclear in the original?

Please tell me, I really wanna know!

~narcotic-lullaby


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